Comparisons between jejunoileal and gastric bypass operations for morbid obesity.

At the University of Minnesota, under the supervision of one staff surgeon, both the jejunoileal bypass (JIB) and gastric bypass (GIB) operations have been done for weight reduction in morbidly obese individuals. Over the past 11 years, end-to-end (40 to 4 cm) JIB performed for 727 patients. In addition, antecolic GIB was performed for 364 patients over the past 6 years. This report is based primarily on a comparison of 205 JIB and 106 GIB patients with surgery between July 1975 and July 1979. Adequate weight loss was seen in 75% of each group. The percentage of excess body weight loss was similar for the first year (65% for JIB and 62% for GIB); however, the JIB patients started at 214% of ideal weight and GIB patients at 197% of ideal weight. The operative mortality rate for either operation was well below 1%, and the immediate operative morbidity rate was low and only rarely delayed discharge from the hospital. The long-term complications for JIB were 37.7% arthralgia or arthritis, 7.1% oxalate urolithiasis, 5.6 incisional hernia, and 1.4% liver failure; complications of GIB were 10.2% nausea and/or vomiting, 1.9% reflux esophagitis, and 2.8% anastomotic problems. At 1 year, plasma cholesterol reductions for JIB patients averaged 42% (P less than 0.001), whereas for the GIB patients it ws only 14% (P less than 0.001). At 1 year after operation, 49% of 88 JIB patients showed progression of liver disease on sequential biopsies, with 31% unchanged and 20% improved. In 43 GIB patients, the biopsies showed improvement in 58%, an unchanged status in 30%, and worsening in 12%. The levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase increased after JIB and eventually returned to normal, while GIB patients had only minor fluctuations of liver function tests. Comparable therapeutic weight results occurred with JIB and GIB; however, the GIB was associated with far fewer serious long-term complications and the JIB with a far greater cholesterol lowering. A percentage of the GIB patients showed progression of liver disease at 1 year after bypass.