Early clinical results with the uncut Roux reconstruction after gastrectomy: limitations of the stapling technique

The aim of this study was to review our early clinical experience with the uncut Roux gastrectomy, a modified Billroth II gastrojejunostomy in which four rows of staples occlude the afferent jejunal lumen, while biliary and pancreatic secretions are diverted distally through a jejunojejunostomy.

Between September 1991 and April 1993, 9 women and 5 men underwent uncut Roux gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma (5), postvagotomy or idiopathic gastroparesis (7), Roux stasis syndrome (1) or anastomotic ulceration with gastric outlet obstruction (1). Subsequently, patients were seen or contacted by phone within the 6 months prior to March 1994.

Eight of the 14 patients (57%) had excellent results with stable weight and no nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, or postprandial symptoms. One patient continued to have early satiety and vomiting but maintained stable weight for 19 months postoperatively. Five patients (36%) had poor results with alkaline reflux gastritis or esophagitis. All 5 had documented staple line dehiscence. Four of them were reoperated on and converted to a standard Roux operation with relief of symptoms.

The uncut Roux operation prevents the Roux stasis syndrome, but the current technique has an unacceptably high incidence of dehiscence of the staple lines with subsequent reflux gastritis or esophagitis.