Possible technical aspects involved in the development of GERD after sleeve gastrectomy: Surgical technique considerations.

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most common bariatric surgery worldwide and has shown to cause de novo or worsen symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Esophageal motility and physiology studies are mandatory in bariatric and foregut centers. The predisposing factors in post-SG patients are disruption of His angle, resection of gastric fold and gastric fundus, increased gastric pressure, resection of the gastric antrum, cutting of the sling fibers and pyloric spasm. There are symptomatic complications due to sleeve morphology as torsion, incisura angularis stenosis, kinking and dilated fundus. In this article, we present recommendations, surgical technique and patient selection flow diagram for SG and avoid de novo or worsening GERD.

Persistent and De Novo GERD After Sleeve Gastrectomy: Manometric and pH-Impedance Study Findings.

PURPOSE: One concerning disadvantage of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) technique as a treatment for obesity is the risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or worsening its symptoms after surgery. The purpose of this study is to describe the changes in manometry and 24-h pHmetry with impedance in bariatric patients after SG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 225 patients who underwent SG and were subjected to manometry, 24-h phmetry, and 24-h impedance between 2006 and 2016. Patients were subdivided into groups based on the test performed: 66 patients with manometry, 60 with 24-h pHmetry and 53 with 24-h impedance. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: Manometry results showed a decrease in LES pressure from 12.26 ± 6.87 to 8.88 ± 6.28 mmHg in patients after surgery, de novo LES incompetence in 53.33%, worsening of symptoms in 71.4%, increase of inverted gastroesophageal gradient from 6.06% to 48.48% (p<0.05), and a rise in esophageal dysmotility from 18.19% to 37.87%. 24-h pHmetry showed an increase of DeMeester score from 16.71 ± 12.78 to 42.88 ± 32.08 after SG and 79.48% of de novo GERD. Ambulatory 24-h impedance showed an increase of pathological reflux from 47.17% to 88.67% postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic SG is associated with a higher proportion of abnormal DeMeester score and greater incompetence of the LES in post-SG esophageal tests. Hence, SG may predispose the development of gastroesophageal reflux in the postoperative period.