Eva Szabo

Early Complications After Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery : Results From the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry

Objective:To identify risk factors for serious and specific early complications of laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery using a large national cohort of patients. Background:Bariatric procedures are among the most common surgical procedures today. There is, however, still a need to identify preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for serious complications. Methods:From the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry database, we identified 26,173 patients undergoing primary laparoscopic gastric bypass operation for morbid obesity between May 1, 2007, and September 30, 2012. Follow-up on day 30 was 95.7%. Preoperative data and data from the operation were analyzed against serious postoperative complications and specific complications. Results:The overall risk of serious postoperative complications was 3.4%. Age (adjusted P = 0.028), other additional operation [odds ratio (OR) = 1.50; confidence interval (CI): 1.04–2.18], intraoperative adverse event (OR = 2.63; 1.89–3.66), and conversion to open surgery (OR = 4.12; CI: 2.47–6.89) were all risk factors for serious postoperative complications. Annual hospital volume affected the rate of serious postoperative complications. If the hospital was in a learning curve at the time of the operation, the risk for serious postoperative complications was higher (OR = 1.45; CI: 1.22–1.71). The 90-day mortality rate was 0.04%. Conclusions:Intraoperative adverse events and conversion to open surgery are the strongest risk factors for serious complications after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Annual operative volume and total institutional experience are important for the outcome. Patient related factors, in particular age, also increased the risk but to a lesser extent.

Closure of mesenteric defects in laparoscopic gastric bypass: a multicentre, randomised, parallel, open-label trial

BACKGROUND Small bowel obstruction due to internal hernia is a common and potentially serious complication after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Whether closure of surgically created mesenteric defects might reduce the incidence is unknown, so we did a large randomised trial to investigate. METHOD This study was a multicentre, randomised trial with a two-arm, parallel design done at 12 centres for bariatric surgery in Sweden. Patients planned for laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery at any of the participating centres were offered inclusion. During the operation, a concealed envelope was opened and the patient was randomly assigned to either closure of mesenteric defects beneath the jejunojejunostomy and at Petersens space or non-closure. After surgery, assignment was open label. The main outcomes were reoperation for small bowel obstruction and severe postoperative complications. Outcome data and safety were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01137201. FINDINGS Between May 1, 2010, and Nov 14, 2011, 2507 patients were recruited to the study and randomly assigned to closure of the mesenteric defects (n=1259) or non-closure (n=1248). 2503 (99·8%) patients had follow-up for severe postoperative complications at day 30 and 2482 (99·0%) patients had follow-up for reoperation due to small bowel obstruction at 25 months. At 3 years after surgery, the cumulative incidence of reoperation because of small bowel obstruction was significantly reduced in the closure group (cumulative probability 0·055 for closure vs 0·102 for non-closure, hazard ratio 0·56, 95% CI 0·41-0·76, p=0·0002). Closure of mesenteric defects increased the risk for severe postoperative complications (54 [4·3%] for closure vs 35 [2·8%] for non-closure, odds ratio 1·55, 95% CI 1·01-2·39, p=0·044), mainly because of kinking of the jejunojejunostomy. INTERPRETATION The results of our study support the routine closure of the mesenteric defects in laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. However, closure of the mesenteric defects might be associated with increased risk of early small bowel obstruction caused by kinking of the jejunojejunostomy. FUNDING Örebro County Council, Stockholm City Council, and the Erling-Persson Family Foundation.

Is glycosylated hemoglobin A1 c associated with increased risk for severe early postoperative complications in nondiabetics after laparoscopic gastric bypass

BACKGROUND Glycosylated hemoglobin A1 c (HbA1 c) has been described as a risk factor for adverse outcome after cardiovascular and colorectal surgery, but not for obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The objective of this study was to see if there is an association between HbA1 c and adverse outcome in laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. METHODS From the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry we identified 12,850 patients, without treatment for diabetes and operated with laparoscopic gastric bypass between January 1, 2010 and September 30, 2012, and where a baseline HbA1 c value was registered. Preoperative data were compared with data from a 30-day follow-up. Severe complications were defined according to the Clavien-Dindo-Scale as Grade 3 b or higher. RESULTS HbA1 c levels below 5.7 % were associated with a lower incidence of severe complications (2.7 %) than higher levels (HbA1 c 5.7-6.49% incidence 3.5%, P = .015; HbA1 c>6.5%, incidence 4.5%, P = .012). After multivariate analysis with patient-specific confounders the difference remained significant (HbA1 c 5.7-6.49% adjusted P = .046; HbA1 c>6.5% adjusted P = .023) CONCLUSION: Elevated HbA1 c levels in patients without pharmacologic treatment for diabetes undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is associated with an increased risk for severe complications during the first 30 postoperative days. This is the case, even at levels not regarded as diagnostic for diabetes.

Cholecystectomy after gastric bypass—incidence and complications

BACKGROUND Although cholecystectomy incidence is known to be high after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, the actual increase in incidence is not known. Furthermore, the outcome of cholecystectomy after RYGB is not known. OBJECTIVES To estimate cholecystectomy incidence before and after RYGB and to compare the outcome of post-RYGB cholecystectomy with the cholecystectomy outcome in the background population. SETTING Nationwide Swedish multiregister study. METHODS The Swedish Register for Cholecystectomy and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (n = 79,386) and the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (n = 36,098) were cross-matched for the years 2007 through 2013 and compared with the National Patient Register. RESULTS The standardized incidence ratio for cholecystectomy before RYGB was 3.42 (2.75-4.26, P<.001); the ratio peaked at 11.4 (10.2-12.6, P<.001) 6-12 months after RYGB, which was 3.54 times the baseline level (2.78-4.49, P<.001). After 36 months, the incidence ratio had returned to baseline. The post-RYGB group demonstrated an increased risk of 30-day postoperative complications after cholecystectomy (odds ratio 2.13, 1.78-2.56; P<.001), including reoperation (odds ratio 3.84, 2.76-5.36; P<.001), compared with the background population. The post-RYGB group also demonstrated a higher risk of conversion, acute cholecystectomy, and complicated gallstone disease and a slightly prolonged operative time, adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and previous open RYGB. CONCLUSION Compared with the background population, the incidence of cholecystectomy was substantially elevated already before RYGB and increased further 6-36 months after RYGB. Previous RYGB doubled the risk of postoperative complications after cholecystectomy and almost quadrupled the risk of reoperation, even when intraoperative cholangiography was normal.

Impact of age on risk of complications after gastric bypass: A cohort study from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg)

BACKGROUND An increasing number of older patients undergo bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVE To define the risk for complications and mortality in relation to age after gastric bypass. SETTING A national registry-based study. METHODS Patients (n = 47,660) undergoing gastric bypass between May 2007 and October 2016 and registered in the Scandinavian Obesity Register were included. Risk between age groups was compared by multivariate analysis. RESULTS The 30-day follow-up rate was 98.1%. In the entire cohort of patients, any complication within 30 days was demonstrated in 8.4%. For patients aged 50 to 54, 55 to 59, and ≥60 years, this risk was significantly increased to 9.8%, 10.0%, and 10.2%, respectively. Rates of specific surgical complications, such as anastomotic leak, bleeding, and deep infections/abscesses were all significantly increased by 14% to 41% in patients aged 50 to 54 years, with a small additional, albeit not significant, increase in risk in patients of older age. The risk of medical complications (thromboembolic events, cardiovascular, and pulmonary complications) was significantly increased in patients aged ≥60 years. Mortality was .03% in all patients without differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS In this large data set, rates of complications and mortality after 30 days were low. For many complications, an increased risk was encountered in patients aged ≥50 years. However, rates of complications and mortality were still acceptably low in these age groups. Taking the expected benefits in terms of weight loss and improvements of co-morbidities into consideration, our findings suggest that patients of older age should be considered for surgery after thorough individual risk assessment rather than denied bariatric surgery based solely on a predefined chronologic age limit.

Weight loss and alterations in co-morbidities after revisional gastric bypass: A case-matched study from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry ☆

BACKGROUND In Sweden, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common procedure when revising a previous bariatric procedure. This study is an analysis of all revisional gastric bypass operations (rGBP) compared with a matched group of primary gastric bypass (pGBP) operated between 2007 and 2012. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine whether improvement of obesity-related co-morbidity and changes in weight after revisional gastric bypass surgery were comparable with those seen after primary surgery. SETTING 44 hospitals in Sweden METHODS: Retrospective data were retrieved from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry. The study group (rGBP) comprised 1224 patients, and the control group (pGBP) comprised 3612 patients matched for age and gender. RESULTS The indication for revision was weight failure in 512 patients (42%), a late complication of the initial procedure in 330 patients (27%), and a combination of weight failure and complication in 303 patients (25%). A total of 66% of patients in the rGBP group and 67% in the pGBP group completed the 2-year follow-up in the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry. The rGBP-group had significantly less excess BMI loss (%EBMIL 59.4±147.0 versus 79.5±24.7, P<.001) and a lower dyslipidemia remission rate (42.9% versus 62.0%, P = .005) at the time of the 2-year follow-up. Remission rates of sleep apnea, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression were similar. The effects on obesity-related co-morbidity were not related to the indication for revisional surgery or the initial bariatric procedure. CONCLUSION Even if weight results might be inferior compared with primary bypass procedures, the improvement of co-morbidity is similar.

Outcomes of laparoscopic gastric bypass in a randomized clinical trial compared with a concurrent national database

RCTs are the standard for assessing medical interventions, but they may not be feasible and their external validity is sometimes questioned. This study aimed to compare results from an RCT on mesenteric defect closure during laparoscopic gastric bypass with those from a national database containing data on the same procedure, to shed light on the external validity of the RCT.

Morbidity of cholecystectomy and gastric bypass in a national database

There is a strong association between obesity and gallstones. However, there is no clear evidence regarding the optimal order of Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and cholecystectomy when both procedures are clinically indicated.

Use of Opioid Analgesics Before and After Gastric Bypass Surgery in Sweden: a Population-Based Study

BackgroundLittle is known regarding the use of opioid analgesics among patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedure has been shown to significantly increase the rate of absorption of and exposure to morphine, raising concerns regarding the potentially increased risk of side-effects and the development of substance-use disorder.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe the pattern of opioid use over time following RYGB and to see if the pattern differs between patients with a high opioid consumption (HOC) prior to surgery and those with a low consumption (LOC).SettingUniversity Hospital of Örebro, Sweden.MethodsThe study was a descriptive retrospective population-based cohort study where two registers with complete coverage were cross-matched.ResultsThe study population comprised 35,612 persons (1628 HOC, and 33,984 LOC). After surgery, the number of HOC patients increased to 2218.Mean daily opioid consumption in the total population and the LOC group increased after surgery (p < .0005). In the HOC group, there was no difference between mean daily consumption before and after surgery.ConclusionIn this nationwide study, we have showed that there is an increase in consumption of opioid analgesics after gastric bypass surgery in Sweden. The increase in the number of individuals with high opioid consumption in the total population was mainly due to an increase in the group of patients with a low consumption prior to surgery.

Fracture Risk After Gastric Bypass Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study: FRACTURE RISK AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY: RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Gastric bypass surgery constitutes the most common and effective bariatric surgery to treat obesity. Gastric bypass leads to bone loss, but fracture risk following surgery has been insufficiently studied. Furthermore, the association between gastric bypass and fracture risk has not been studied in patients with diabetes, which is a risk factor for fracture and affected by surgery. In this retrospective cohort study using Swedish national databases, 38,971 obese patients undergoing gastric bypass were identified, 7758 with diabetes and 31,213 without. An equal amount of well‐balanced controls were identified through multivariable 1:1 propensity score matching. The risk of fracture and fall injury was investigated using Cox proportional hazards and flexible parameter models. Fracture risk according to weight loss and degree of calcium and vitamin D supplementation 1‐year postsurgery was investigated. During a median follow‐up time of 3.1 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.7 to 4.6) years, gastric bypass was associated with increased risk of any fracture, in patients with and without diabetes using a multivariable Cox model (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.53; and HR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.47; respectively). Using flexible parameter models, the fracture risk appeared to increase with time. The risk of fall injury without fracture was also increased after gastric bypass. Larger weight loss or poor calcium and vitamin D supplementation after surgery were not associated with increased fracture risk. In conclusion, gastric bypass surgery is associated with an increased fracture risk, which appears to be increasing with time and not associated with degree of weight loss or calcium and vitamin D supplementation following surgery. An increased risk of fall injury was seen after surgery, which could contribute to the increased fracture risk.