Self-report of gastrointestinal side effects after bariatric surgery

Data on gastrointestinal (GI) side effects of bariatric surgery are limited because of incomplete reporting, cross-sectional samples, and nonstandardized assessments.

To report on GI side effects over the first 6 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB).

Academic medical center, United States.

One hundred forty-four patients completed a standardized clinical interview 6 months after operation, including questions on the occurrence and frequency of episodes of dumping syndrome, vomiting, and plugging for each of the past 6 months; monthly rates were stable, so results were averaged over the entire period. Although data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial, randomization group and the interaction of group by surgical procedure were not related to GI side effects. Thus, results are reported by procedure only (RYGB, n = 87; LAGB, n = 56).

RYGB patients had a higher preoperative body mass index (BMI) than LAGB patients (46.8±6.8 versus 43.5±4.8 kg/m(2), respectively; P = .001), were more likely to report dumping (45.7% versus 4.7%, P<.0001), and were less likely to report plugging (45.7% versus 79.1%, P = .0005). Vomiting did not differ significantly by procedure (68.6% versus 65.1%, P = .7). Most patients experienced each GI side effect less than once per week.

Although self-reported GI side effects were common over the first 6 months after operation, the frequency of episodes was relatively low. Longer-term follow-up is needed to determine whether symptoms worsen or improve over time.