Is Staple LRE to Prevent Post-Operative Staple Line Leak and Haemorrhage after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Abstract

Background: Staple line haemorrhage and leak are considered to be common complications of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Some strongly recommend staple line reinforcement to deal with these complications while some consider it non beneficial. Aim: To analyze if staple line reinforcement is essential to prevent staple line haemorrhage and leaks. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in Surgical unit 1 Fatima Memorial Hospital. A total of 100 patients were selected and divided into two groups of 50 each. Group 1 had staple line reinforced while group 2 had no reinforcement at all. All patients were observed for 24-48 hours for post-operative bleeding and leak. Results: Staple line leakage was found to be 4% in patients with staple line reinforcement whereas it was 6% in patients without staple line reinforcement with a p value of 0.284 which was not significant. Likewise, staple line bleeding in both groups were 2% and 6% with p value of 0.129 which was also insignificant. Conclusion: There is no added benefit to reinforce the staple line to prevent postoperative leak or bleeding but reinforcement only prolongs the operation time. Keywords: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, leak, post-operative bleeding, staple line reinforcement