Results and complications after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has gained popularity and acceptance among bariatric surgeons, mainly due its low morbidity and mortality. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of SG on weight loss, and to determine the postoperative course, clinical presentation and treatment of complications after SG.

Between January 2006 and October 2012, 153 consecutive patients underwent SG. All data were prospectively collected in a computerized database.

This series comprised 119 females and 34 males with a median age of 46 years and a median preoperative BMI of 42.3 kg/m2. The median EWL was 53.0 % after 18.4 months of follow-up. The median postoperative BMI was 33.3 kg/m2 (range 19.7–56.1 kg/m2). Eight patients (5.2 %) required re-laparoscopy to manage postoperative hemorrhage (3.3 %) and leakage (1.9 %). Neither abdominal drains nor postoperative contrast-swallow studies were successful in diagnosing hemorrhage or leaks in our patients.

SG is an effective procedure to achieve significant short-term weight loss. Clinical signs, such as tachycardia, pain, fever and hypotension, provide the best evidence of the presence of postoperative leakage or bleeding. An early diagnosis of these complications is the key to ensuring adequate treatment with immediate re-laparoscopy.