The utility of routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy before laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

The routine use of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) before laparoscopic Roux-en-y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is debatable. Various studies have reported high diagnostic yield of routine EGD before LRYGB to detect pathologies that could alter surgical management. However, other studies have found that preoperative EGD did not identify significant pathologies that changed clinical management; therefore, it is not indicated in asymptomatic patients.

We aimed to study the utility of routine EGD in patients before LRYGB.

Academic teaching hospital, (Royal Alexandra Hospital, Canada).

A retrospective review of patients undergoing LRYGB with 1 surgeon at our hospital from May 2014 to March 2016 was completed. EGD findings were compared with surgical gastrojejunal specimen pathology and postoperative complications.

There were 116 patients who underwent EGD before LRYGB with 113 reported EGDs, of which 46.0% were normal, 40.7% had findings that did not result in a change of management, and 13.3% had findings resulting in a change of management. In the gastrojejunal specimen, 16 patients (14.2%) were found to have chronic gastritis. The relative risk of patients having gastrojejunal gastritis was 5.1 (P<.0005) for patients with gastritis on EGD and 5.1 (P<.0005) for patients with Helicobacter pylori infection on EGD. After surgery, 18 patients (15.9%) had complications. Preoperative EGD findings were not associated with postoperative complications.

Based on the findings from this study, we recommend using less invasive screening in the routine workup of patients awaiting LRYGB and reserving EGD for symptomatic patients.