A Retrospective 2-Year Follow-up of Late Complications Treated Surgically and Endoscopically After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) for Morbid Obesity.

BACKGROUND: The laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) has been the gold standard for bariatric surgery, but recently, the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has gained popularity. At present, limited data is available on the long-term complications of these two types of surgery. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the 2-year data about late (more than 30 days after surgery) complications that were treated surgically or endoscopically after LRYGB and LSG operations in a large hospital area with a single patient database.

MATERIALS: This was a retrospective, non-randomized, single-center study of 760 (545 LRYGB and 215 LSG) bariatric patients surgically treated between 2008 and 2013 in the Bariatric Surgery Unit of Helsinki University Central Hospital.

METHODS: The patients were followed for 2 years, and late complications (more than 30 days after surgery) that were surgically and/or endoscopically treated were registered. Weight loss and the risk factors for complications were also monitored.

RESULTS: The study found a difference between the LRYGB and LSG patients in a number of late complications treated by both intervention types: surgical intervention were required in 9.4% of LRYGB patients vs. 0.9 of LSG patients, and endoscopic intervention were required by 4.6% of LRYGB patients vs. 1.4% of LSG patients (both p < 0.05). The risk of surgical complications was increased by better weight loss results in 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS: LRYGB was found to be associated with a greater risk of late complications. If larger databases confirm these results, the trend toward LSG is justified.