Akeel M Merchant, BS, Eyad M Wohaibi, MD, Tejinder P Singh, MD. Albany Medical Center
Introduction: Patients with achondroplasia fall under the category of atypically morbid obese individuals in whom correction of obesity via lifestyle modification becomes of limited use given their body disposition and co-morbidities.
Case report: This paper reports a 30 year old morbidly obese achondroplastic patient in whom correction of obesity was achieved using laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Her BMI dropped significantly from 65.2 preoperatively to 26.7 twenty months after the operation. Although the patient developed stenosis of gastrojejunostomy and a perforated gastrojejunal ulcer status post RYGB, these were not likely due to her achondroplasia. Rather, they were a complication of the procedure itself.
Discussion/Conclusion: Achondroplasia is a mutation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene which leads to shortened limbs with normal axial length. With the growing popularity of bariatric surgery, this modality can be a resourceful option in this population. This is the first reported case of a successful laparascopic RYGB in an achondroplastic patient, and the first reported case following the post operative course of an achondroplastic patient following RYGB. Further clinical studies will need to be performed to assess the efficacy of bariatric surgery in this patient population.
Session Number: Poster – Poster Presentations
Program Number: P462
View Poster