Assessment of Exocrine Pancreatic Function Following Bariatric/Metabolic Surgery: a Prospective Cohort Study

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) can be seen after bariatric/metabolic surgery. Fecal elastase level is a simple test in diagnosing and grading EPI. Quality of life changes in patients with bariatric/metabolic surgery related to gastrointestinal complaints is debated.

This study aimed to investigate rates and grades of EPI via fecal elastase levels and association between EPI and quality of life in bariatric surgery patients.

A prospective study was performed for patients with bariatric/metabolic surgery at their second-year follow-up. Fecal elastase levels were used to diagnose and grade EPI as severe or moderate. Patient's gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) was calculated. Patients were grouped as sleeve gastrectomy (SG), one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), single-anastomosis sleeve ileal bypass (SASI), and transit bipartition (TB). Rates of severe or moderate EPI were primary outcome. Secondary outcome was an association between fecal elastase and GIQLI.

There were 17, 29, 21, and 15 patients in OAGB, SG, TB, and SASI groups. There was no significant difference between groups in GIQLI scores and fecal elastase levels (p = 0.152 and p = 0.361). Rates of patients with moderate EPI in the groups OAGB, SG, TB, and SASI were 23.5%, 17.2%, 14.3%, and 20.0%. GIQLI scores were not significantly correlated with age, postoperative morphometric data, and fecal elastase values (p > 0.05).

Rates of patients with moderate EPI ranged from 14.3 to 23.5% at second-year follow-up. There was no patient with severe EPI. GIQLI scores were not significantly correlated with fecal elastase levels and different types of bariatric/metabolic surgery.