A Retrospective 2-Year Follow-up of Late Complications Treated Surgically and Endoscopically After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) for Morbid Obesity.

BACKGROUND

The laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) has been the gold standard for bariatric surgery, but recently, the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has gained popularity. At present, limited data is available on the long-term complications of these two types of surgery. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the 2-year data about late (more than 30 days after surgery) complications that were treated surgically or endoscopically after LRYGB and LSG operations in a large hospital area with a single patient database.

MATERIALS

This was a retrospective, non-randomized, single-center study of 760 (545 LRYGB and 215 LSG) bariatric patients surgically treated between 2008 and 2013 in the Bariatric Surgery Unit of Helsinki University Central Hospital.

METHODS

The patients were followed for 2 years, and late complications (more than 30 days after surgery) that were surgically and/or endoscopically treated were registered. Weight loss and the risk factors for complications were also monitored.

RESULTS

The study found a difference between the LRYGB and LSG patients in a number of late complications treated by both intervention types: surgical intervention were required in 9.4% of LRYGB patients vs. 0.9 of LSG patients, and endoscopic intervention were required by 4.6% of LRYGB patients vs. 1.4% of LSG patients (both p < 0.05). The risk of surgical complications was increased by better weight loss results in 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

LRYGB was found to be associated with a greater risk of late complications. If larger databases confirm these results, the trend toward LSG is justified.