ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a heterogeneous disease affecting connective tissues. EDS patients have a high susceptibility for developing anastomotic leak after visceral surgery. Although patients with EDS can also develop severe obesity and might be referred to bariatric surgery, there is just 1 case report in the literature regarding the outcomes of bariatric surgery in this specific context. OBJECTIVE: To report the cases of patients with EDS and severe obesity that underwent bariatric surgery. SETTING: Five French hospitals (University Hospital of Nantes, APHP Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP Bichat Hospital, Clinique St Gregoire Rennes, and Clinique Mutualiste de l'Estuaire St Nazaire). METHODS: We report the cases of 7 patients with EDS and severe obesity who underwent surgery. RESULTS: All patients showed classical postoperative course except for 1 case of excessive bleeding. There was no increased pain, leak, and solid parietal healing was achieved in all patients at 1 month postoperatively. The percent excess weight loss at 1 and 6 months were 13.9 ± 3.8% and 45.3 ± 16%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that bariatric surgery is a relevant and apparently safe surgical option to consider in severely obese patients with EDS.
