Helicobacter Pylori Infection Prevalence and Histopathologic Findings in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that affects more than half of the world's population and has been associated with gastritis. The relationship between H. pylori and obesity is controversial. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is the most commonly used surgery for morbidly obese patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of H. pylori in patients undergoing LSG.

Biopsy specimens of 32,743 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and resection materials from 1257 patients who underwent LSG were examined histopathologically. The relationships between body mass index (BMI), age, gender, H. pylori infection, and intestinal metaplasia (IM) were investigated in patients with gastritis.

In patients undergoing EGD, the association of H. pylori infection was found to be increased in males and the elderly (p < 0.001). The presence of gastritis and IM was significantly higher with H. pylori infection (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). H. pylori infection was significantly higher in patients over the age of 41 years (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the results of H. pylori before and after LSG surgery (p = 0.923). The presence of H. pylori together with gastritis and IM was found to be significant (p < 0.001).

H. pylori infection increases with age. No significant difference was found in the examination for H. pylori before and after LSG surgery. In addition, no relationship was found between H. pylori and excess weight. However, due to the low average age of patients who underwent LSG, further studies are needed in this area.