This means that in this class of obese people, if we operate on a thousand, two will die. If you take these same thousand people and just let them carry on the same way (with medical treatment, etc.) HALF of them would be dead in 20 years! In fact, the five year mortality of these patients is high enough to justify bariatric surgery.

Even though this is pretty impressive stuff to demonstrate how life-saving and life-altering bariatric surgery can be, what happens to an individual case where the patient dies? For that family, the mortality rate is 100%! Can things be any worse for them? No.

Therefore, if we could try and reduce the mortality of surgery even further, why would we not do it?

If we could weed out the highest risk cases, it would be half the battle won. We could then simply try not to operate on this high-risk class of patients, UNLESS there is a clear and explicit understanding and acceptance that they have a significant chance of dying within a month of surgery.

So the highest risk is seen in these groups:

1. Elderly
2. Males
3. High BMI
4. Smokers, alcoholics
5. History of pulmonary embolism/DVT
6. Re-do bariatric surgery

• Causes of 30-day bariatric surgery mortality: with emphasis on bypass obstruction– Mason EE, Renquist KE, Huang YH, Jamal M, Samuel I.
• The SOS Study: Sjöström
• The Pennsylvania bariatric mortality study
• Long-Term Mortality after Gastric Bypass Surgery: Ted D. Adams, et al.
• Medicolegal analysis of 100 malpractice claims against bariatric surgeons: Cottam D, Lord J, Dallal RM, Wolfe B, Higa K, McCauley K, Schauer P.

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This is an oversimplification, IMO.

I have mentioned before that the sleeve, in spite of being an easier and faster procedure, may be more problematic in terms of leak alone. The leak rate of the sleeve is around 2-3 percent, while that of the bypass is around the same, but the leaks behave differently.

The sleeve leak (as discussed in details before) is a high pressure leak, occurring usually at the angle of His, and tends to persist unless stented.

The bypass leak occurs at multiple possible sites, half in the gastrojejunostomy, but being a low pressure leak, tends to dry out on its own once the surgical re-exploration is done and issues sorted out.

(pic from referenced article)

Leaks after a bypass are usually detected on Day 3, give or take some. The detection may be because of routine dye study, but usually the patient already has a high pulse rate, fever, abdominal pain, dirty drain output, etc. It is important to remember that around a third of patients may have no clear evidence of a leak in spite of CT scan or dye test or both. In fact, in an older study, only a pulse rate over 120 and a rapid breathing rate were consistent in patients with leaks, and only 2 out of 9 leaks showed up on the dye study.  This means that a laparoscopic re-exploration is the most reliable of investigations for a leak!

Upon detection of a leak after the bypass, the patients is usually re-explored laparoscopically. The procedure may include any or all of the following:

1. Re-suture of leak with omental graft
2. Re-do the full anastomosis
3. Partial remnant gastrectomy (in case of remnant staple line leak)
4. Drainage
5. Gastrostomy

While around 2 percent of bypasses may leak, when they do occur, they inflict considerable collateral damage: gastrogastric fistula, wound complications, lung problems, DVT/PE, etc.

It is also important to remember that a downstream problem like an obstruction of the jejunum may cause leaks from the staple line above.

Are there groups which have a predictably higher leak rate?

Yes, it may be said that the leak risks are higher in:

1. Revisional bariatric surgeries (around 13-14%)
2. Males.
3. Higher BMI.
4. Multiple co-morbidities.
5. Patients with previous abdominal operations.
6. Circular stapled anastomoses (hand-sewn method has the lowest leak rate of 0.4%): controversial!
7. Inexperienced surgical hands.
8. Those who have had an intraoperative mishap (colon/splenic injury, for example).
9. One leak may predispose to another.
10. Buttressed staple lines may have an advantage in leak rates.

The mortality of jejuno-jejunal leaks is close to 40-50 percent, while a GJ leak has a 10% mortality.

What happens once a leak is detected and the patient re-explored? Initial days may be stormy or tense, spent in the ITU with ventilatory support given to some patients (remember, many of these patients are already sick with other co-morbidities), and then the sepsis gets controlled and the nutrition support started (through the gastrostomy tube or through a central vein in the neck, etc.). The patient recovers slowly and the leak heals with time. In the rare case, if a leak persists beyond a month, a stent may be required.

With this post, our continuing exploration of the Achilles heel of all bariatric operations has been, you will admit, rather thorough. If this and the other articles frighten you, then be assured that this was and is not the goal of my writing. We at BMI believe that an informed patient is the best one, and we owe it to you to even out the information asymmetry in this highly technical branch of medical care. All surgeries have side effects, but they occur in a small minority of patients. In the given case, each complication hits hard, and a prepared patient handles it better. As bariatric surgeons, we need to brief you adequately as to the possible downsides of what is otherwise a transformational event in life.

Ref:

Diagnosis and Contemporary Management of Anastomotic Leaks after Gastric Bypass for Obesity

J Am Coll Surg

Rodrigo Gonzalez, MD, Michael G Sarr, MD, FACS, C Daniel Smith, MD, FACS, Mercedeh Baghai, MD, Michael Kendrick, MD, Samuel Szomstein, MD, FACS, Raul Rosenthal, MD, FACS, Michel M Murr, MD, FACS

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I had jokingly noted how BMI has not had a leak in many years. This year (obviously our busiest year so far) we have had three leaks, each unique in mechanism, presentation and treatment.

I will discuss the cases separately later in my posts, and share some thoughts about this important topic.

Sleeve gastrectomy leaks behave totally differently compared to any other type. The reasons are multiple, and all lead to a persistent and nagging leak that may end up as a fistula (a tract between the stomach and the skin).

The causative factors are:

1. The pylorus (ring of muscle that acts a the gateway from the stomach into the duodenum) is normally closed, and the pressure in the gastric tube increases because of that, especially when a peristaltic wave builds up in the organ. The pressure may be as high as 45 mm Hg pressure, whereas the lower esophageal pressure is 20 mm Hg at most. The resultant gradient of pressure is from the pyloric end towards the esophagus. This leads to high pressure acting on the highest end of the staple line (near the GE junction). Greater the pressure, the higher the leak rate.
2. The GE junction area is least supplied by blood vessels. This would lead to relatively weaker healing.
3. The intrathoracic pressure is negative, and the pressure differential in the upper stomach, therefore, is high.
4. The gastric tube may twist in a corkscrew manner in the postoperative phase, perhaps as a result of the staple line running in different directions and the muscle layers getting transected at different levels.
5. The incisura of the stomach may be narrowed by the stapling. This would not only lead to high pressure build up in the stomach but also make leak management doubly difficult.

Whatever be the cause, leaks may increase mortality (10%), and certainly do increase hospitalisation and costs of treatment. In fact, in the Indian context, where insurance is nowhere in the picture, it is scary to imagine a leak in a patient with limited resources.

Some other points about sleeve leaks:

* The most leaks occur when both staple line buttresses and overrunning sutures are used (Gagner).

* Intersections of staple lines must always be oversewn to prevent leaks.

* The narrow sleeves leak the most compared to the wider ones (typically 32 Fr versus 40 Fr).

* Leaks may occur even as late as 2 to 4 weeks after operation, though this is not common.

* A leak mandates immediate re-exploration, drainage and insertion of a feeding tube (nasojejunal or jejunostomy or parenteral).  Many experts now routinely insert a stent intraoperatively during the re-exploration. This possibly reduces hospital stay.

* A chronic leak persisting over three months is not amenable to endoscopic stenting and would need surgery.

Endoscopic stent management of sleeve leaks (some major points to bear in mind):

For stents to work, the defect should be less than 3 cm or less than 50% of the circumference of the organ.

As mentioned above, the consensus seems to be emerging that leaks should be stented during the re-exploration. At this re-exploration, an attempt may be made to identify the leak, suture it with an omental pedicle as buttress and drain the area. If the leak is not easily visible, one should not hunt it, for fear of causing injuries in the friable and inflamed area.

If a stricture is present along with a leak, two stents may be used to cover the entire sleeve, or the single stent has to reach up to the incisura/stricture.

SEMS for Sleeve Leak (video)

The stents used may be Self Expanding Plastic Stents (SEPS) known as Polyflex or SEMS (self expanding metal stents). The problem with the Polyflex or plastic stents is that they tend to migrate, while the SEMS stents are very difficult to remove. To this end, the two stents have different problems and different solutions have been tried successfully: to prevent migration of the SEPS stent, a thread is passed through the edge of the stent and brought out through the nose and tied to the patient’s ears (!). Ingenious and cheap. With the SEMS stent, double coating may make for easier removal. I have seen one presenter at IFSO 2011 at Hamburg mention and show esophageal avulsion injury during removal of a metal stent.

Stents cause problems:

• Reflux
• Salivation in the morning
• Chest pain
• Dislodgment
• Erosion
• Difficult removal

Stenting should be accompanied by endoscopic pyloric dilatation, using 20 psi pressure. This reduces the intra-sleeve pressure.

Checking the stent position every week or month (depending on the policy) is necessary.

Endoscopic methods other than stents:

• For leaks less than 1 cm, several injections of fibrin sealant may lead to 100% success rates.
• For the same kind of leak, argon laser coagulation has also been used (Basso).
• Through-the-scope clips may be used for defects less than 1 cm.
• Over-the-scope clips may be used for larger defects.
• A Brazilian center advocates an endoscopic septotomy (division of a ridge like elevation that forms beside a chronic fistula) and cleaning up of the abscess adjoining the fistula, thereby leading to an internal drainage of the leak. This allows immediate removal of the drain. This is an unorthodox method of treatment.

Surgery:

For a chronic leak, surgery may be a last resort.

1. The simplest is to connect a jejunal loop to the fistula defect
2. The sleeve is converted to a gastric bypass and the fistula is left untouched. This converts the high pressure sleeve leak to a low pressure bypass leak. The fistula then dries out.
3. Conversion to bypass and stoma constructed at the leak site.
4. Total gastrectomy with esophagojejunostomy (Neto).

I hope this series has been educational for you, whether you are a patient, relative, doctor or student.

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Overview

When these situations arise, the surgeon has a lot of work to do. As starters, he or she needs to find out what caused it. Is it the technical failure of the procedure or is it the noncompliance of the patient to diet and lifestyle modifications? The patient can cheat too, you know.

On the basis of what is wrong, surgeons may recommend medical management in terms of dietary and lifestyle modification or another intervention (which is technically called revision bariatric surgery).

Common scenarios

The common bariatric procedures are – Lap Band, Lap Sleeve Gastrectomy and Lap Gastric Bypass. Most of the problems of inadequate weight loss are seen in Lap Band and Lap Sleeve Gastrectomy. This happens because these procedures work on the principles of only restricting the quantity of food and drinks. This makes it possible for the patient to eat and drink, however little in quantity, high calorie dense foodstuff (colas, chocolates, for example) and thus cheat. Obviously these subjects are not going to lose weight adequately. Also the Lap Band in particular has a high failure rate due to slippage, malposition and erosion of the band. The Lap Gastric Bypass is immune to this cheating as because the procedure makes the patient intolerant to sugary foods and also because it works by causing non absorption of ingested food, too. However, it is still possible to have inadequate weight loss after Lap Gastric Bypass if the pouch (small remnant of the stomach which is joined to intestine) is large sized or if the stoma (orifice joining the stomach and intestine controlling the speed of transit of food) is big.

What to do? Or not to do

The best thing to do in “cheaters” are to identify them before surgery and tell them politely that it is not going to work for them unless they are going to participate in the weight management process too. Even better, refer them to your friends. Why suffer with a poor reputation at the expense of a noncompliant patient. If identified after surgery, these patients need to be managed by counseling regarding food habits alone. Mostly they do not need surgery.

The other situation of inadequate weight loss may be due to technical reasons like dilatation of the pouch/ remnant stomach after the primary bariatric procedure. This may be due to faulty technique (big pouch, inadequate removal of stomach especially the fundus) or due to gorging (excess food here acting as a dilator). The latter is because of binge eating disorder, something that should have been identified and eliminated before surgery. These patients will benefit from revision surgery.

What are the surgical options?

The following are the commonest options for bariatric revision procedures1:

1. Lap Band – an inflatable silicone prosthetic device that is placed around the top portion of the dilated left over stomach. This will slow down the passage of food from the stomach to intestine and decrease the eating. This procedure can be performed as a revision procedure for patients who have had a Sleeve Gastrectomy or Gastric Bypass surgery but have regained weight due to dilatation of the pouch/ remnant stomach.

2. Lap Gastric Bypass is a commonly chosen revision technique2 particularly in patients who have not been successful in meeting their weight loss goals after Lap Band or Sleeve Gastrectomy. Often the really really obese (super obese) may be offered this as a preplanned strategy as a two stage procedure. Here, the first operation is usually a Sleeve Gastrectomy and the second surgery in the form of Gastric Bypass is performed only after a modest weight loss has taken place. This reduces the risk of complications with a single shot gastric bypass that is a technically more demanding procedure especially in the super obese. The weight loss success rate after Gastric Bypass revision surgery is generally excellent.

3. StomaphyX is a new kid in the block. This procedure is a completely endoscopic procedure3. This obviates the need to perform any second surgery. Imagine, having an option where no scalpel (for the second time, for God’s sake!) is required. Here a stretched gastric pouch is made smaller by using internal sutures or fasteners through an endoscope. It may be used in patients who have had prior Gastric Bypass surgery and have a stretched stomach pouch.

Outcome of revision bariatric procedures

The revision procedures should not be taken lightly. They have their own share of problems despite their efficacy. In a recent article published in 2010, Dr Spyropoulos4 has published data regarding the outcome of revision bariatric surgery. As can be obviously guessed, it is way higher than with initial procedures. The anastomotic leak rate is (the most important complication as far as safety is concerned) is 13.1%. Compared to the standard leak rate of 0.5-3% after primary bariatric surgery, this is hell of a lot. Hernias, stenosis (narrowing of outlet orifice) and intestinal obstruction are also more frequently seen.

However, the benefits are also encouraging. The weight loss achieved in revision surgery is substantial (body mass index drops from a mean of 55.4 kg/m2 to a mean of 35 kg/m2 ) and most patients are satisfied with the results.

Take Home Message

The message is that these procedures should be done by experts with experience to make it as safe as possible.

I have always found convincing patients for second surgeries (after any surgery for that matter) a difficult task. The patient may take the entire previous exercise as a failure. The patient may lose confidence in the surgeon. However the patient would also need to understand that the only failure is in giving up. And there are now options available (even endoscopic) to rectify the primary surgery if desired results are not attained. Having said that, we at BMI believe that the most important management of inadequate weight loss after bariatric surgery is to prevent them by identifying the noncompliant patients and by meticulously performing first surgery. If however, the weight loss is not adequate, the Revision Bariatric Surgery should be taken with utmost regard given to case selection and safety.

REFERENCES:

1.Medical and surgical options in the treatment of severe obesity, Barry L. Fisher, M.D., Philip Schauer, M.D., American Journal of Surgery, Volume 184 • Number 6B • December 2002

2.The weight reduction operation of choice : vertical banded gastroplasty or gastric bypass, Capella JF et al. The American Journal of Surgery, ISSN 0002-9610, CODEN AJSUAB

3. The role of endoscopy in bariatrics, Shou- jiang Tang MDa and Don C. Rockey MDa, 2008 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

4. Spyropoulos C Arch Surg. 2010;145:173- 177.

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Now, everyone knows that bariatric surgery is a serious undertaking for the patient with its potential for complications (about which much has been written by us in this website). Everyone also knows that liposuction is a simple way of removing body fat without any complications. Some plastic surgeons or slimming centers may encourage this line of thinking by being effusively positive and optimistic about the benefits of the procedure.
The ethical and responsible plastic surgeons (and we know several) clearly know the place of liposuction in the management of the obese patient.
They explain the potential complications of liposuction as including infection, embolism and skin complications. They reserve it largely for spot reduction, a cosmetic indication, avoiding the obese patient who needs more than spot reduction of a few pounds of fat.
Additionally, I have always suspected that post-liposuction, the patient (whose lifestyle usually goes unchecked) puts on more fat that accumulates in other body parts, leading to an unsightly obesity. Today, my suspicion stands vindicated.
As the New York Times reports:

…fat came back after it was suctioned out. It took a year, but it all returned. But it did not reappear in the women’s thighs. Instead, Dr. Eckel said, “it was redistributed upstairs,” mostly in the upper abdomen, but also around the shoulders and triceps of the arms.

However, the human mind likes gratification, even if it lasts all of one year (heck, even one minute of a sweet treat is irresistible), and so the study shows that the women still were happy with the results of the liposuction, in spite of more belly fat than before. Irony.

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Before we proceed, do you know what is a lap gastric bypass all about?

An important factor to be considered by every patient/doctor involved in a gastric bypass is how the stoma for the pouch would be created, as it is one of the known factors leading to weight regain.

The stoma is the opening we create between the gastric micro-pouch and the upper small bowel (jejunum). Too big a stoma will lead to food exiting the pouch quicker and resultant weight regain. Too small a stoma would lead to obstructive symptoms and misery.

So what is the ideal stoma size: 12 mm, 14 mm, 18 mm, or 25 mm? And how would we create this stoma? Does the stoma size stay that way all life at the same size?

Easy, tiger, easy. One thing at a time!

Ideal stoma size:
Different people seem to be using different sizes. A popular way of creating the stoma is with the EEA circular stapler and the OrVil device. The stoma created is either 21mm or 25mm in size.
The stoma is a little big but it is known to contract in size later. The risk of stenosis being highest in the circular stapler group, it is perhaps better to keep stoma size around this level. A smaller stoma may stenose and cause obstructive symptoms. The incidence of stenosis is less than 3 percent.

The hand-sutured technique (my personal favorite) is known to stenose the least in the long term. Here the stoma size is 12 mm/36 Fr. In case you are wondering how we can measure in millimeters in lap surgery, we pass a 36 Fr gastric tube through the mouth into the pouch. The anastomosis between the pouch and the jejunum is fashioned over this tube.
A stoma can be created with the Linear Stapler. This leaves the anterior (front) walls open, and need hand-suturing to complete the process. The stoma also tends to be excessively wide, in my experience. Therefore, at BMI, we don’t favor this method, preferring the hand-sewn and EEA techniques instead.
So the keen patient here would be wondering, “Which is better or best?”
Like most things in life, it depends. Each method of stoma creation has its pros and cons.
The EEA circular stapled method is quick and mechanised, so suturing is not a major issue. The stoma is reliably and safely created, with minimal leak rates. However, it is expensive, needs the surgeon to be familiar with the device, and has the highest stenosis rates. On top of that, technical disasters are not unknown (study in colorectal context).

The hand-sewn method (best demonstrated by Kelvin Higa) is also safe, reliable and avoids mechanical stapler failures and disasters. It needs the highest level of skills in the surgeon, and is more time consuming in most hands. Experts, however, can complete this quickly.

The Linear Stapler method is easy for most surgeons, but has very little to recommend it.

One final issue with the stoma: do we need stoma to be buttressed, or glued? It may by nice to do and for us to see in the operating room, but it probably does not reduce leak rates significantly. In the high-risk patient we may choose to use it. Some studies do report significant benefits in reduction of bleeding, leaks and stenoses.

The bottomline is to ask your surgeon how he would create the stoma, and what he prefers. Then make up your mind to go for it. You have more to gain by that decision: that one thing that will transform your life.

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]]> http://www.bmi-india.com/gastric-bypass-choosing-the-stoma/feed/ 0 http://www.bmi-india.com/does-bougie-size-in-sleeve-gastrectomy-matter/ http://www.bmi-india.com/does-bougie-size-in-sleeve-gastrectomy-matter/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:57:50 +0000 ramana http://www.bmi-india.com/?p=377 When we started out on doing the sleeve gastrectomy a few years back, it was typically over a 60Fr bougie. The important thing, we learnt, was not to leave any part of the fundus of the stomach behind. This was the important technical thing to check. Our old patients have all done well.

Since the last couple of years, however, it has become commonplace to do tight sleeves over bougies 32-36 Fr. The idea is that a tighter sleeve is more restrictive in terms of stomach capacity and would give faster and better weight loss.

This article examines the truth.

Gagner et al had published an article in Obesity Surgery in 2008 showing better safety profile in their own series for patients who had 60 Fr sleeves compared to those who had narrower 40 Fr sleeves. Today, however, we are talking of much tighter sleeves. The question, therefore, could be “Does a sleeve twice as tight as a conventional 60 Fr sleeve give better results?”

Recent studies have shown that tight sleeves have shown good results. In fact, many of us in India have no regrets doing tight sleeves, with equivalent weight loss in the short term and 85-100% resolution of diabetes mellitus.

At BMI, we use around 34 Fr or 38 Fr, but end up with a slightly tighter sleeve because of meticulous oversewing of the staple line.

The most important consideration in designing a tight sleeve is to ensure that there is no narrowing at the level of the incisura (the sag-point of the stomach where the organ turns horizontally towards the right of the patient). A narrowing will cause a leak at the GE junction or lead to persistent vomiting later, necessitating invasive treatment later. All in all, a highly regrettable outcome could ensue, so it is wise to leave a wider incisura than make it too tight.

Some new thoughts are also currently being aired on improving outcomes after the sleeve. Could the gastric tube, detached from its greater curve attachment of gastrocolic (“greater”) omentum, get coiled up later and impair emptying of the organ? Would it be wise to re-anchor the omentum to the stomach tube?

We really don’t know yet. Interesting possibilities abound, but the truth is by no means established.

In recent times, several studies have reported no increase in complications  when the staple line is not reinforced with stitches. In fact the last one I read talked of zero leaks in  more than 500 cases. At BMI, we have now switched from ”meticulous suturing of the staple-line” above to stitches placed at the junction of adjacent staple lines.

And, so far, we are free from the disaster of leaks (knocks on wood).

So, if we create tighter sleeves with a narrow bougie (between 32 and 36 Fr) would we have a higher rate of strictures? No. In a recent article in a journal, Zundel et al have reported a 0.26 % stricture rate. The cause of stricture may be:

1. A hematoma (blood clot) causing compression

2. Stitch causing narrowing

3. Ischemia due to inadvertent vascular injury to branches of the left gastric artery.

4. Kinking of the gastric sleeve (due to stitches, stapling technical errors, etc). This can occur regardless of sleeve size.

5. Fistula: the associated inflammation causes narrowing.

6. Band removal cases, usually associated with much fibrosis.

7. Mucosal edema and food impaction can also cause acute blockage.

References:

1. Gagner M, Deitel M, Kalberer TL, et al. The Second International Consensus Summit for Sleeve Gastrectomy, March 19-21, 2009. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2009;5:476–485.

2. Frezza EE, Reddy S, Gee LL, et al. Complications after sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity. Obes Surg. 19:684–687.

3. Lalor PF, Tucker ON, Szomstein S, et al. Complications after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2008;4: 33–38.

4. Zundel, et al. Strictures After Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tec, Volume 20, Number 3, June 2010

5. DE Bellanger, FL Greenway. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: 529 cases without a leak.

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]]> http://www.bmi-india.com/does-bougie-size-in-sleeve-gastrectomy-matter/feed/ 3 http://www.bmi-india.com/depression-and-suicides-after-bariatric-surgery-fact-or-myth/ http://www.bmi-india.com/depression-and-suicides-after-bariatric-surgery-fact-or-myth/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:41:10 +0000 sarfaraz http://www.bmi-india.com/?p=468 In the last decade there has been a spurt in the number of cases of bariatric surgery. While a lot is said about the huge benefits of such procedures, the critics have also been pointing out the disadvantages of the procedure.

One such area of concern has been the depression and even suicidal tendencies seen in some cases after bariatric surgery. There are various case reports of depression and suicides after bariatric surgery in the literature ^1-4.

Recently a paper published in a reputed journal made an attempt to analyse this rather alarming problem ⁵. After critically analyzing these papers it was suggested that some papers suffered from methodologic problems such as small sample size, failure to use validated assessments of psychopathology and absence of appropriate comparison groups (for example , how many candidates were already depressed and having suicidal ideation before bariatric surgery).

One  study found out that many of the patients undergoing bariatric surgery already have psychiatric disorders in the form of anxiety , mood , and personality disorder ⁶. In another study the extremely obese subjects were found to experience increased suicidal ideation than their normal ­­­­weight counterparts ⁷. This may be partly responsible for the increased negative psychosocial effects seen in patients after bariatric surgery.

On the other hand, there are many papers  that suggest that Bariatric surgery is  associated with significant improvements in psychosocial status. Most psychosocial characteristics, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, a­­nd body image, improve dramatically in the first postoperative year.^8-13

Unfortunately, a minority of patients appears to struggle with numerous psychological issues postoperatively. Although the evidence submitted in the literature to prove the adverse psychosocial outcome arising as a direct result of bariatric surgery is far from convincing due to the reasons stated above, it is probably a good policy to involve a mental health professional in all cases before performing such surgery. ­­

References:

1.    Higa KD, Boone KB, Ho T. Complications of the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: 1,040 patients–what have we learned? Obes Surg. 2000;10(6):509-513.

2.    Hsu LK, Benotti PN, Dwyer J, et al. Nonsurgical factors that influence the outcome of bariatric surgery: a review. Psychosom Med. 1998;60(3):338-346.

3.    Waters GS, Pories WJ, Swanson MS, Meelheim HD, Flickinger EG, May HJ. Long-term studies of mental health after the Greenville gastric bypass operation for morbid obesity. Am J Surg. 1991;161(1):154-157.

4.    Adams TD, Gress RE, Smith SC, et al. Long-term mortality after gastric bypass surgery. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(8):753-761.

5. David B. Sarwer,  Anthony N. Fabricatore, P et al. Primary Psychiatry. 2008;15(8):50-55

6.    Kalarchian MA, Marcus MD, Levine MD, et al. Psychiatric disorders among bariatric surgery candidates: relationship to obesity and functional health status. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164(2)328-334.

7.    Dong C, Li WD, Li D, Price RA. Extreme obesity is associated with attempted suicides: results from a family study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2006;30(2):388-390.

8.    Bocchieri LE, Meana M, Fisher BL. A review of psychosocial outcomes of surgery for morbid obesity. J Psychosom Res. 2002;52(3):155-165.

9.    Herpertz S, Kielmann R, Wolf AM, Langkafel M, Senf W, Hebebrand J. Does obesity surgery improve psychosocial functioning? A systematic review. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003;27(11):1300-1314.

10.    van Hout GC, van Oudheusden I, van Heck GL. Psychological profile of the morbidly obese. Obes Surg. 2004;14(5):579-588.

11.    Sarwer DB, Wadden TA, Fabricatore AN. Psychosocial and behavioral aspects of bariatric surgery. Obes Res. 2005;13(4):639-648.

12.    Herpertz S, Kielmann R, Wolfe AM, Hebebrand J, Senf W. Do psychosocial variables predict weight loss or mental health after obesity surgery? A systematic review. Obes Res. 2004;12(10):1554-1569.

13.    van Hout GC, Boekestein P, Fortuin FA, Pelle AJ, van Heck GL. Psychosocial functioning following bariatric surgery. Obes Surg. 2006;16(6):787-794.

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]]> http://www.bmi-india.com/depression-and-suicides-after-bariatric-surgery-fact-or-myth/feed/ 2 http://www.bmi-india.com/gastric-plication-a-new-wls-procedure/ http://www.bmi-india.com/gastric-plication-a-new-wls-procedure/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 04:22:12 +0000 ramana http://www.bmi-india.com/?p=456 Many bariatric surgeons are excited about the procedure Gastric Plication (LGP) as a bariatric procedure. It promises to be a simple method (remember, “Less Is More!”) that gives weight loss results as good as sleeve gastrectomy without even the risks of that procedure (staple line leaks (read part one and part two here) or bleeding).

What is done is that the greater curvature of the stomach is freed from the tissues attached to it (known as the gastrocolic omentum) using a vessel sealing device like the Harmonic Scalpel or the Ligasure. This is the first step of the sleeve gastrectomy procedure, as well.

However, unlike the sleeve, here we do not use the stapler to remove 80% of the stomach. We merely imbricate/plicate the stomach using running stitches from above downwards, layer by layer, till most of the stomach is pushed inwards, creating a narrowing of the passage, and a tunnel along the lesser curvature, just like the sleeve.


Lap Gastric Plication

In the same vein, if someone wants to reverse the procedure, the stitches may be removed by laparoscopy (making this a potentially reversible procedure like the Lap Band), though this would neither be a good thing nor a great experience!

Some patients have significant reflux symptoms after LGP, as after the sleeve, as we have discussed before.

It is possible that the stitches may give way later and hamper the weight loss, but preliminary results, as presented in the recent International Conference of Obesity in Stockholm, show good results akin to the sleeve.

More info later!

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]]> http://www.bmi-india.com/gastric-plication-a-new-wls-procedure/feed/ 45 http://www.bmi-india.com/weight-loss-plateau-after-sleeve-gastrectomy-what-now/ http://www.bmi-india.com/weight-loss-plateau-after-sleeve-gastrectomy-what-now/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:09:41 +0000 ramana http://www.bmi-india.com/?p=393 Weight loss plateaus may occur in certain patients who have undergone a sleeve gastrectomy as a primary bariatric procedure. What are the causes? What is the next step?
What is the prognosis for these patients?

This article discusses these issues. Please buckle your seat belts!

First things first, who doesn’t know what a sleeve (as this operation will from now on be called) is and what it is for? Please refer to our Procedures page and also search this site for many other articles on this popular weight loss procedure.

Normally, the weight loss expected out of the sleeve is in the whereabouts of 50-80 percent of excess body weight. This is usually achieved in the vicinity of one year and may go on till three years, after which time there is usually no inherent weight loss from the surgery. This does not mean you will stop losing weight after that time. You could lose weight if your diet and exercise plans are on the spot. But in practice, weight loss plateaus in and around the third year. A recent study from India published in the journal SOARD reports a nearly 75 percent weight loss of the sleeve in three years.



(the stomach being stapled at BMI, Kolkata. Procedure done at Belle Vue Clinic)

So, the weight loss curve hits a plateau at a point in time. In itself, this is a benefit, as sleeve patients would shrink to oblivion otherwise! So, now that the weight loss plateau is upon you, what to do?



(the stapling process proceeds towards the direction of the foodpipe/esophagus)

Before we answer this, let us eliminate one important cause of weight regain* after the sleeve: a residual fundus. This means that the upper baggy part of the stomach, which is the source of the hunger hormone ghrelin, has not been fully removed by the surgery (usually a technical error). If this is detected, it is bad news.

*The definition of this is taken to be a weight regain of 10 kgs from the nadir (bottom) of the weight loss curve.



(the resected stomach being removed through one of the port sites)

In order to get the desired weight loss, re-surgery has to be undertaken. In such a case, we do one of the following:

1. Re-sleeve: using an endoscopic stapler, the extra fundus (the culprit) is excised. An option to create a narrower sleeve is also possible, but would mean more staplers, and higher cost.

2. Convert to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: especially if the patient is super-super-obese (BMI more than 60), where the sleeve is usually the first of a two-stage operative strategy. An alternative we can explore in the Western/Muslim/non-vegetarian super-super-obese patient is the Duodenal Switch (DS). The reason for this is that these patient classes usually eat enough proteins by way of meats. This is a very crucial consideration as the DS causes severe malabsorption of proteins and fats and can cause debilitating malnutrition in the vegetarian patient.

3. A banded sleeve. This adds an additional restrictive element to the sleeve, but has the disadvantages that a Lap Band normally carries (which is another full article). In short, high explantation rates, erosions, prolapse of gastric mucosa, esophageal dilatation, etc.

In a special section on sleeve gastrectomy published June 2010 in the journal Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques, I quote:

Similar to the banded gastric bypass, a band can also be placed in SG performed as ‘‘primary banded sleeve gastrectomy,’’ as published by Alexander et al. In this series of 27 patients, a band of 6 cm length made of biologic tissue (AlloDerm) was placed approximately 6 cm below the gastro-esophageal junction.

This is same, but different, compared to the former “secondary” sleeve banding described by Greenstein.

In some cases, improper eating (large feeds, drinking colas and binge eating) can cause the gastric tube (sleeve) to become dilated. Though the initial surgery may have been perfect, the end result is similar to that of a residual fundus after primary surgery: inadequate weight loss, or an early weight loss plateau. This is the reason it is critical to screen patients before surgery for eating disorders and psychiatric conditions that make for unreliable post-op compliance (which means we don’t want to operate on patients who won’t listen to us, and are likely to screw up the results of surgery and give us a bad name).

Let’s get back to the originally asked question. If you underwent a gastric sleeve surgery, and there were no operation-related problems and you lost 70-75% of your excess body weight in, say, three and a half years, BUT you put back 5 kgs in the last few months, what to do?

First, we evaluate the stomach: is it dilated? Is there a residual fundus?

If there is no surgically significant problem, we must get back to basics.

Our strategy is simple:

1. Motivation: talk, talk and more talk. Help the patient understand how results should be the focus, not eating.

2. Eliminate processed foods, sugars, sweetened beverages, alcohol, and other such temptations.

3. Reserve grains as a cheat meal, not as a daily component of the diet.

4. Put some patients on a low-carb diet.

5. Careful food journaling and monitoring of nutritional intake. An online journal may be kept for free at www.fitday.com (or similar sites).

6. Fish oil capsule supplements: 1.8 to 3 grams daily (around 6-8 caps daily).

7. Activity guidance: walk, cycle, play, climb, skip. Don’t sit, slouch, drive, ride.

8.  Exercise: strength training with cardio, both HIIT and long-slow cardio.

Once we hit the system with renewed vigor, you will soon be back on track with weight loss!

References:

1. Revisional bariatric surgery for inadequate weight loss. Gumbs AA, Pomp A, Gagner M. Obesity Surgery, Sept 2007.

2. Re-sleeve gastrectomy. Baltasar, et al. Obesity Surgery, Nov 2006.

3. The Spanish study on sleeve gastrectomy outcomes. Obesity Surgery, Sept 2009.

4. French prospective multicenter study: results at 1 and 2 years. Nocca, et al. Obesity Surgery May 2008.

5. LSG with minimal morbidity. Rubin, et al. Obesity Surgery Dec 2008.

6. Greenstein’s article link in SOARD.

7. Banded Sleeve Gastrectomy. Alexander et al. Obesity Surgery, Sept 2009.

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