Early small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic gastric bypass: a surgical emergency

Early small bowel obstruction (ESBO; within 30 d of surgery) after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LRYGB) is reported in .5% to 5.2% of primary cases, but it is associated with significant morbidity, and the treatment is not standardized.

To review prevalence, causes, management, and outcomes of patients treated for ESBO after LRYGB.

Tertiary academic medical center.

Retrospective review to identify consecutive patients who underwent primary LRYGB and those who developed ESBO from January 2000 through June 2017. Data included demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, LRYGB technical details, and ESBO clinical presentation, location, causes, treatment, and outcomes.

One thousand seven hundred seventeen patients (84.2% females) had LRYGB. Mean age and body mass index was 42.4 ± 11.1 years and 48.2 ± 7.3 kg/m², respectively. Twenty-nine patients (1.7%) had ESBO. All patients presented with symptoms, most commonly nausea and vomiting (n = 17), on average 4.1 ± 5.9 days postoperatively; most required reoperation (n = 23, 79.3%) and 5 required >1 reoperation. Location of the obstruction and treatment used were the following: (1) jejuno-jejunostomy (n = 17, 58.6%; narrowing or clot), treated with reoperation in 11; and (2) other than at the jejuno-jejunostomy (n = 12, 41.4%; trocar site, incisional or internal hernia, adhesions, mesenteric ischemia), treated with reoperation in all. All ESBO patients had additional complications, 6 (20.1%) developed an anastomotic leak, and 2 (6.9%) died.

ESBO infrequently occurs after LRYGB; many causes are technique related and possibly preventable. However, it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A high index of clinical suspicion, rapid and appropriate imaging, and prompt operative intervention are recommended.