Roux-en-Y to One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass Conversion: Description of a Novel Technique

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) remains among the most widely performed bariatric procedures. A significant decline in its indication has been observed due to weight regain and reappearance of comorbidities. Moreover, the lack of effective therapeutic alternatives after failure justifies why other techniques are more frequently chosen. We present a novel technique to convert a failed RYGB into a one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB).

A 43-year-old male patient with a body mass index (BMI) of 47 kg/m² and several comorbidities was submitted to RYGB. Initially his surgery was successful, but after 7 years he visited the bariatric and metabolic surgery clinic with reappearance of all comorbidities, and the same BMI as before having bariatric surgery. After proper evaluation and preparation, conversion to OAGB was decided.After anatomy identification, the alimentary limb was transected 20 cm distal to the gastrojejunal anastomosis, and a new anastomosis with the common channel (CC) was created, to form a new long afferent biliopancreatic limb and a new short efferent CC.

The surgical procedure and postoperative course were uneventful. One year after the procedure the patient's BMI was 36 kg/m². He has been able to stop all medications and therapies related to previous comorbidities. To date, the patient has good dietary and supplementation adherence resulting in no nutritional deficiencies, or gastrointestinal symptoms.

This new surgical technique is safe and feasible. Short-term results have shown reasonable weight loss (WL), and especially remission of comorbidities with an improved quality of life.