Sleeve gastrectomy can cause reflux?
Did you realize that after a sleeve gastrectomy, patients can have reflux symptoms? In fact 15% of patients develop reflux after the sleeve gastrectomy. Nonetheless, the sleeve gastrectomy is a great weight loss operation and is very popular among patients having bariatric surgery to lose the weight and keep the weight off. So, I decided to try and fix this problem. I began a study at the University to determine if repairing the diaphram during the surgery would help, and IT DID! Preliminary results are showing that our novel technique works. This is the abstract to that work.
Abstract
Background: The longitudinal sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is associated with increase gastro esophageal reflux (GER) symptoms and its associated morbidities.
Objective: We set up a randomized control trial to determine if a posterior crural repair during a SG could reduce postoperative GER symptoms.
Setting: The study was performed at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, Texas.
Methods: Blinded patients were randomized to a treatment group (crural repair) and control group (no repair). Their symptoms were reported through a validated questionnaire before surgery and at three month intervals after surgery. We report the one year follow up results.
Results: There was a significant reduction from preoperative GER scores to the 3, 6, and 9 month postoperative scores in all patients who underwent a posterior crural repair; however, no such changes were noted in the control group. Between the two groups, the treatment group had significantly lower scores than the control group at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. There was no significant added time or morbidity in the treatment group.
Conclusion: Posterior crural repair at the time of SG can significantly reduce symptomatic GER symptoms and may offer significantly improved relief compared to no repair in the early post-operative period.
If you have had a sleeve gastrectomy and now suffer with heartburn or reflux problems, or if you are considering having a sleeve gastrectomy, come and see me and lets talk about how I can help you!
