Sleeve gastrectomy severe complications: is it always a reasonable surgical option?

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is widely adopted but exposes serious complications.

A retrospective database analysis was done to study LSG staple line complications in a tertiary referral university center with surgical ICU experienced in treatment of morbid obesity and complications. Twenty-two consecutive patients were referred between January 2004 and February 2012 with postoperative gastric leak or stenosis after LSG. Interventions consisted in the control of intra-abdominal and general sepsis; restoration of staple line continuity or revision of LSG; nutritional support; treatment of associated complications. Main outcome measures concerned success rates of therapeutic strategies, morbidity and mortality rates, LOS, and time to cure.

Thirteen patients (59 %) were referred after failure of reoperation (seven fistula repairs were attempted). Three patients received emergency surgery in our center with transorificial intubation and jejunostomy formation. An endoscopic stent was tried in nine patients but failed in 84.6 % of cases within 20 days (1-161). Seven patients (32 %) necessitated total gastrectomy within 217 days (0-1,915 days) for conservative treatment failure. Procedures under general anesthesia were required in 41 % of cases, organ failure was found in 55 % of cases, and central venous device infection in 40 %. Mortality rate was 4.5 % (n = 1). Patients with unfavorable evolution of LSG complications (death or additional gastrectomy) had more previous bariatric procedure (82 % vs. 18 %, p = 0.003). Median time to cure was 310 days (9-546 days).

LSG exposes severe complications occurring in patients with benign condition. Endoscopic stents entail high failure rate. Total gastrectomy is required in one third of the cases.