Gastric leaks after sleeve gastrectomy: no impact on weight loss, co-morbidities, and satisfaction rates.

Abstract

No data are available concerning the results on weight loss, correction of co-morbidities, and satisfaction rates in patients with healed gastric leak (GL) after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Evaluate weight loss, correction of co-morbidities, and satisfaction rate of patients with healed GL after SG. University hospital, France, public practice. Between March 2004 and October 2012, all patients managed for GL after SG with a minimum of 1 year follow-up were included. These patients (GL group) were matched in terms of preoperative data and type of surgical procedure (first- or second-line SG) on a 1:2 basis with 74 patients without GL (control group) selected from a population of 899 SGs. Primary endpoint was the weight change over a 1-year period after performing SG. Secondary endpoints were GL data, co-morbidities data, and satisfaction rates 1 year after SG. The GL group consisted of 37 patients (27 first-line SG [73%]). The mean EWL in the GL group was 52.2% and 68.8% at 6 and 12 months, whereas the mean EWL in the control group was 58.9% and 72.2%, respectively (P = .12; P = .46). No significant difference was observed between the 2 groups in terms of correction of co-morbidities. At 12 months follow-up, mean BAROS score was 6.02 in the GL group and 7.14 in the control group (P = .08). No significant difference was observed between the 2 groups in terms of the SF-36 questionnaire. Despite the morbidity associated with GL, the results on weight loss, correction of co-morbidities, and satisfaction rates were similar in patients with healed GL and in patients without GL.