Brittany Nowak, MD, George Fielding, MD, Marina Kurian, MD, Bradley Schwack, MD, Andrea Bedrosian, MD, Christine Ren-Fielding, MD. New York University Langone Medical Center
Introduction: The gastrojejunostomy (GJ) during Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) can be performed by stapled or hand-sewn techniques, and is at risk for anastomotic stricture, reported in the literature at rates from 0 to 33%. This study reviews a single center’s experience with anastomotic stricture and intervention required.
Methods and Procedures: A retrospective chart review was performed of 904 patients who underwent RYGB as primary or revisional surgery at a single institution from October 2000 through September 2017. There were 182 patients excluded for follow up duration of less than 1 year, 5 for an esophagojejunostomy rather than GJ, and 1 for gastroparesis as the surgical indication rather than morbid obesity. This left 716 patients to be included in the study. Demographic and operative data were collected including technique for GJ, post-operative follow up, and complications, with a focus on GJ stricture and subsequent interventions.
Results: Gastrojejunostomy (GJ) was performed with a 25 CEEA stapler in 674 (94.1%) patients, with a linear stapler in 25 (3.5%), was hand-sewn in 7 (1.3%), and the technique was unknown in the remaining 8 (1.1%). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was performed as a primary surgery in 522 (72.9%) patients and as a revisional surgery in 194 (27.1%).
Stricture of the GJ was diagnosed in 29 (4.1%) patients. The average time to diagnosis of early strictures occurring prior to 3 months was 40.3 days, and for late strictures was 871 days. By technique, stricture was diagnosed in 26 (3.9%) patients in the 25 CEEA group, 1 (4%) in the linear stapler group, and 2 (22.2%) in the hand-sewn anastomosis group. In primary RYGB patients stricture was diagnosed in 20 (3.8%) patients, and in revisional RYGB in 9 (4.6%) patients (p=0.626). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with dilation was performed at least once (1-9 times) in 26 patients, 2 with concomitant stenting, 2 required operative intervention, and 1 patient awaits operative intervention. Both patients who required surgery also had marginal ulcers, and possible gastro-gastric fistula at time of surgery.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that the 25 CEEA circular stapler is a reasonable technique for performance of the GJ anastomosis in RYGB, with a stricture rate of 3.9%. There is also a slightly increased stricture rate in revisional surgical patients, though not statistically significant.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 93364
Program Number: P135
Presentation Session: Poster Session (Non CME)
Presentation Type: Poster