Pancreatic surgical complications—the case for prophylaxis

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure) represents a considerable surgical challenge. Postoperative complications are common and typically related to leakage of pancreatic exocrine secretions following anastomosis failure. Pancreatic proteases and lipase leaking from the organ remnant attack the surrounding tissue, potentially leading to severe inflammation, tissue necrosis, and fistula formation. In addition, the soft consistency of the normal pancreas can lead to difficulties in manipulating the organ and reduce the integrity of sutures. Pancreatic fistula is the most serious postoperative complication and especially common following resectional surgery for malignant disease. Through prophylactic inhibition of digestive secretions, it should be possible to reduce postoperative morbidity after pancreatic surgery. One such inhibitor is somatostatin-14, an endogenous peptide hormone with pronounced effects on secretion of pancreatic enzymes and hormones, gastrointestinal secretions, and pancreatic blood flow, all of which may decrease the risk of postoperative complications. A limited number of randomised controlled trials have investigated prophylactic administration of somatostatin-14 and the synthetic somatostatin analogue octreotide in reducing complications following pancreatic surgery. While the majority of studies with octreotide demonstrated a significant reduction in the overall complication rate, the benefits appeared less marked in relation to events specifically related to pancreatic secretion. However, preliminary results from a limited number of trials with somatostatin-14, administered as a continuous intravenous infusion, suggest that prophylactic pharmacotherapy produces a significant decrease in fistula formation and secretion related events after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Due to these promising data, further investigation of the role of somatostatin-14 prophylaxis in pancreatic surgery is warranted in large well controlled trials

Impact of Pregnancy on Weight Loss and Quality of Life Following Gastric Banding

International audienceBACKGROUND-OBJECTIVES: Despite pregnancy being a common event following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), there is little comprehensive data regarding its effect on postoperative outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of pregnancy on the postoperative changes in quality of life (QOL) and total weight loss 3 years after LAGB. SETTING: Multi-institutional, France. METHODS: This is a study of the subgroup of 561 women of childbearing age included in a 3-year prospective multicenter trial assessing the results of patients undergoing LAGB surgery. Data from the 61 women who got pregnant and delivered during the follow-up period were compared with the 270 who did not. RESULTS: Pregnant women achieved lower final weight loss compared to the non-pregnant group [final body mass index (BMI) 35.4 vs. 31.1 kg/m(2), p \textless 0.0001; excess weight loss (%EBL) 43.6 vs. 64.7 %, p \textless 0.0001]. Longitudinal assessment demonstrated pregnancy as a significant and independent factor of poor weight loss (p \textless 0.0001). The timing of conception after LAGB (between the first 18 months or after) had no significant impact on weight loss changes. There was no significant difference in short form-36 health survey (SF-36) QOL scores between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy following gastric banding affects negatively postoperative final weight loss, even if occurring 18 months postoperatively, but has no effect on QOL improvement

Bariatric Surgery Outcomes in Sarcopenic Obesity

International audienceBACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity is the combination of low muscle mass and strength with increased fat mass. This condition is associated with negative health outcomes. We hypothesized that sarcopenia could be a pejorative factor on surgical weight loss. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study are to determine the influence of sarcopenic obesity on gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy results regarding weight loss and comorbidities resolution at 3, 6, and 12 months. SETTING: The study was conducted at the University Hospital. METHODS: Sixty-nine obese patients who benefited from bariatric surgery were included. Skeletal muscle mass was determined by the Janssen's equation. Physical performance and muscle strength were determined using the 6-min walk test and the wall sit test. Obese subjects from the lowest tertile of the Skeletal Muscle mass Index (SMI) of Baumgartner were set as sarcopenic. RESULTS: Weight loss outcomes and rate of weight loss failure were not influenced by sarcopenia. At 1 year, mean EBMIL% was 75.4 % +/- 5 in sarcopenic subjects vs 67.8 % +/-4 in the non-sarcopenic subjects (p = 0.242). Improvement rates of co-morbidities were similar between groups. Skeletal muscle mass was no more different between groups at 1 year after surgery. There was no patient lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery remains effective in achieving weight loss target in sarcopenic patients, with similar remission rates of main comorbidities and similar safety profile than in the non-sarcopenic group. Whether bariatric surgery could result in improvement or deterioration of daily living activities disabilities and functional autonomy in sarcopenic obese patients still have to be evaluated

Gastric bypass for obesity in the elderly: is it as appropriate as for young and middle-aged populations?

International audienceBACKGROUND: Obesity prevalence increases in elderly population. Bariatric surgery has been underused in patients over 60 because of fears of complications and lower weight loss. We postulated worse outcomes in the elderly in comparison to young and middle-aged population 1 year after gastric bypass. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed gastric bypass outcomes in young (\textless40 years), middle-aged (40 to 55 years), and elderly (\textgreater60 years) patients between 2007 and 2013. Each subject over 60 (n = 24) was matched with one subject of both the other groups according to gender, preoperative body mass index (BMI), surgical procedure, and history of previous bariatric surgery (n = 72). RESULTS: Older subjects demonstrated higher prevalence of preoperative metabolic comorbidities (70 vs 30 % in the \textless40-year-old group, p \textless 0.0001). Mean duration of the surgical procedure, mean length of stay, and early and late complication rates were similar between age groups. A trend towards fewer early complications and less-severe complications in the younger groups was noted. One-year weight loss results were similar between young, middle-aged, and elderly patients (percentage of excess BMI loss (EBL%), 74.4 +/- 3.5; 78.9 +/- 4.5, and 73.7 +/- 4.5 respectively, p = 0.69). Age was not predictive of weight loss failure 1 year after surgery. Remission and improvement rates of comorbidities were similar between age groups 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms weight loss efficacy of gastric bypass in the elderly with acceptable risks. Further studies evaluating the benefit-risk balance of bariatric surgery in the elderly population will be required so as to confirm the relevance of increasing age limit

Should we wait for metabolic complications before operating on obese patients? Gastric bypass outcomes in metabolically healthy obese individuals

International audienceBACKGROUND: A subgroup of obese patients without metabolic disorders has been identified and defined as metabolically healthy but morbidly obese (MHMO). OBJECTIVES: To compare Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) outcomes between MHMO and metabolically unhealthy morbidly obese (MUMO) patients to assess whether the obesity phenotype could affect the results. SETTING: A university-affiliated tertiary care center. METHODS: One hundred nineteen consecutive patients underwent RYGB; 102 completed the 2-year follow-up and were divided into 2 groups (MHMO and MUMO) according to Wildman criteria, including blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood sugar, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Weight loss and metabolic parameter changes were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 102 (20.6%) patients were identified as MHMO; they were mostly women (90.5%) and were significantly younger than MUMO patients (39.4 +/- 9.1 yr versus 47.2 +/- 10, P = .001); 12.6% were lost to follow-up. MHMO phenotype was significantly associated with a greater percentage of excess body mass index loss (P = .03), independent of gender, age, and redo procedures. All metabolic parameters were significantly improved 2 years after surgery in the MUMO group. HOMA-IR, CRP, and triglycerides were significantly lower 2 years after surgery in the MHMO group, whereas fasting blood sugar and HDL-C were unchanged. At 2 years of follow-up, 92.3% of the population was metabolically healthy. CONCLUSIONS: RYGB is an effective procedure to achieve weight loss and had a strong positive metabolic effect in both MHMO and MUMO phenotypes. RYGB led to an increase of the metabolically healthy status and may prevent or delay the onset of metabolic disorders

Greater weight loss with the omega loop bypass compared to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a comparative study

International audienceBACKGROUND: Despite similar initial results on weight loss and metabolic control, with a better feasibility than the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), the omega loop bypass (OLB) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of the laparoscopic OLB versus the RYGBP in terms of weight loss, metabolic control, and safety. METHODS: Two groups of consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery were selected: 20 OLB patients and 61 RYGBP patients. Patients were matched for age, gender, and initial body mass index (BMI). Data concerning weight loss, metabolic outcomes, and complications were collected prospectively. RESULTS: Mean duration of the surgical procedure was shorter in the OLB group (105 vs. 152 min in the RYGBP group; p \textless 0.001). Mean excess BMI loss percent (EBL%) at 6 months and at 1 year was greater in the OLB group (76.3 vs. 60.0%, p = 0.001, and 89.0 vs. 71.0%, p = 0.002, respectively). After adjustment for age, sex, initial BMI, and history of previous bariatric surgery, the OLB procedure was still associated with a significantly greater 1-year EBL%. Diabetes improvement at 6 months was similar between both groups. The early and late complication rates were not statistically different. There were three anastomotic ulcers in the OLB group, in smokers, over 60 years old, who were not taking proton pump inhibitor medication. CONCLUSIONS: In this short-term study, we observed a greater weight loss with OLB and similar efficiency on metabolic control compared to RYGBP. Long-term evaluation is necessary to confirm these outcomes

Impact of sleeve gastrectomy volumes on weight loss results: a prospective study

International audienceBACKGROUND: Causes of weight loss failure after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are still controversial. The impact of the size of the sleeve continues to be debated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the impact of sleeve volumes assessed at 3 months using gastric computed tomography (CT) on weight loss at 18 months. SETTING: University Hospital, France. METHODS: Sixty-seven obese patients eligible for SG were prospectively evaluated. Sleeve volumes were assessed postsurgery using 3-dimensional gastric CT with gas at 3 months and weight loss outcomes recorded up to 18 months. The population was divided into 2 groups: the first tertile (n = 22) with the smallest gastric volume was defined as the "small sleeve" group (SSG) and the rest of the population (n = 45) was defined as the "without small sleeve" group (WSSG). RESULTS: No patients were lost to follow-up. In the SSG, overall gastric volume was 133+/-7 mL versus 264+/-11 mL for the WSSG (P\textless.0001). Percentage excess body mass index loss (%EBMIL) during the first postoperative 18 months was significantly greater in the SSG compared with the WSSG (P = .04). Although the volume of the gastric tube was not correlated with weight loss (r =-.04, P = .78), there was a negative linear correlation between the volume of the antrum and the %EBMIL at 18 months (r =-.39, P = .005). A narrow gastric tube was also associated with a high digestive intolerance and reflux. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that performing the sleeve with a not-too-small bougie size and a radical antrectomy could improve weight loss and digestive tolerance

Relevance of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass volumetry using 3-dimensional gastric computed tomography with gas to predict weight loss at 1 year

International audienceBACKGROUND: Causes of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) failures are still controversial. Literature data suggest that gastric pouch or gastrojejunal anastomosis distentions over time could be a key factor. Making the hypothesis that progressive distention of RYGB volumes is 1 of the main factors of weight loss failure, the aim of our study was to evaluate bypass volumes changes using repeated 3-dimensional gastric computed tomography with gas and the possible negative correlation with weight loss results at 1 year. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients eligible for RYGB were prospectively included. Gastric bypass volumes were assessed at 3 and 12 months postsurgery performing 3-dimensional gastric computed tomography with gas and weight loss outcomes were recorded during the first postoperative year. RESULTS: There was no loss to follow up. Mean % excess body mass index lost (%EBMIL) at 1 year was 66.7%. Seven patients (17.9%) did not reach Reinhold criteria and were considered as RYGB failures. We found no linear correlation between the 1 year %EBMIL and mean values of the gastric pouch (r=.01; P=.94), and the neo stomach (r=.09 ; P=.57) at 3 months. Revisional surgery was correlated negatively with %EBMIL at 1 year. CONCLUSION: Weight loss at 1 year does not seem to be correlated to RYGB volume changes. Behavioral factors probably play a major role in weight loss failure