Incidence of Symptomatic Cholelithiasis Following Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Is Comparable to Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Cohort Study

Minimally Invasive Common Bile Duct Stone Management in Gastric Bypass Patients: Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration with Disposable Bronchoscope

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery patients may develop common bile duct stones, and the alterations in their anatomy present challenges in treating this condition. Methods such as laparoscopic bile duct exploration is impractical in many healthcare facilities, due to the absence of a choledochoscope. This study assesses the feasibility of laparoscopic exploration of the common bile duct using a disposable bronchoscope in these individuals.

METHOD

The study involved 32 participants who had undergone gastric bypass surgery. These participants presented with both bile duct stones and bile ducts exceeding 8 mm in diameter, diagnosed through either MRCP or cholangiography conducted during the surgery. Stone extraction was carried out through either choledotomy or transcystic routes using a disposable bronchoscope and endoscopic baskets.

RESULTS

The patients' ages ranged from 27 to 66 years, with a mean bile duct diameter of 11.6 mm (SD 3.1 mm). A 100% stone clearance rate was achieved for all patients. None of the patients required conversion to open surgery. No T-tubes were placed. One patient developed biloma and intra-abdominal abscesses, which were successfully treated with a percutaneous drain over the course of a week. No mortalities were recorded during the course of this study.

CONCLUSION

Our study results demonstrate that laparoscopic bile duct exploration is both feasible and safe in patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery. The utilization of a disposable bronchoscope emerges as a practical and cost-effective alternative to a choledochoscope in this procedure.

Prevention of Gallstones After Bariatric Surgery using Ursodeoxycholic Acid: A Narrative Review of Literatures

Obesity by itself is a factor in the development of gallstone disease, and periods of weight loss after bariatric surgery further increase the risk of gallstone formation. In patients with obesity, hypersecretion of cholesterol may increase the risk of gallstone formation, which is approximately five-fold higher than that in the general population. The incidence of gallstone formation after bariatric surgery is 10-38% and often associated with a proportional increase in the risk of developing biliary complications. Routine postoperative administration of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is recommended to prevent gallstone formation. Several randomized trials have indicated that UDCA can effectively prevent gallstones and reduce the risk of cholecystectomy after bariatric procedures. The effective daily dose of UDCA in each study ranged from 500 to 1,200 mg, and it may be considered at least during the period of rapid weight loss (first 3-6 months postoperatively) to decrease the incidence of symptomatic gallstones.