Surgical standardization to prevent gastric stenosis after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is accepted as a stand-alone bariatric procedure. A specific and potentially severe complication of LSG is gastric stenosis (GS).

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing the treatment and prevention of GS after LSG.

SETTING: University hospital, Taiwan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving all of the LSG cases (n = 927) at our institution between February 2007 and December 2015.

RESULTS: Eight patients (0.8%) with GS were identified in our unit and 1 patient was transferred from another institution with symptomatic GS. The median intervals from initial LSG to the presence of symptoms, endoscopic dilation, and surgical revision were 14±30 days (range, 7-103 days), 21±35.6 days (range, 9-110 days), and 36±473.9 days (range, 11-1185 days), respectively. The majority of stenoses were located at the incisura angularis (8/9 [88.9%]). Among the 9 patients, only 1 responded satisfactorily to repetitive endoscopic dilation and the remaining 8 patients required revisional laparoscopic surgery, including conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 6), stricturoplasty (n = 1), and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass after failed seromyotomy (n = 1). No patients experienced recurrent symptoms of GS after revisional surgery. In September 2013, we modified our surgical techniques for the subsequent 489 patients and GS did not occur after the change in surgical procedures.

CONCLUSION: A combined treatment modality, endoscopic intervention with and without surgical revision is essential for managing GSs. Based on our own experience, we emphasize the clinical significance of surgical standardization to prevent the occurrence of GS.