Pelà Giovanna, De Rosa Fabrizio, Demola Pierluigi, Crocamo Antonio, Missale Gabriele, Cecchini Stefano, Marchesi Federico, Visioli Francesco, Silini Enrico Maria, Roncoroni Luigi
a Department of Medicine and Surgery , University Hospital of Parma , Parma , Italy.
b Unit of Hepatology , University Hospital of Parma , Parma , Italy.
Scand J Gastroenterol. 2018 Jun-Jul;53(7):891-894. doi: 10.1080/00365521.2018.1474944. Epub 2018 May 23.
Jejuno-ileal bypass (JIB) was a kind of bariatric surgery performed from 1960s to 1980s, able to induce sustainable weight loss by creating a surgical short bowel syndrome.
We report a case of an octogenarian woman who underwent in the early eighties this kind of surgery with consequent 40 kg weight loss. After 27 years, she first developed a reversible metabolic cardiomyopathy that began with signs and symptoms of heart failure. Thereafter, she was diagnosed with severe intractable liver insufficiency.
Despite her old age, the patient underwent reversal of JIB with consequent early improvement of hepatic function.
This case demonstrate that in case of long-term and life-threatening complications, it is possible to successfully reverse JIB surgery after upto 30 years. The hypothesis on pathophysiology of heart and liver insufficiency are discussed.
