The utility of esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Helicobacter pylori screening in the preoperative assessment of patients undergoing bariatric surgery: A cross-sectional, single-center study in Saudi Arabia

Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on metabolic and bariatric surgical complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

More papers have discussed the importance of preoperative detection and eradication of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in patients before and after Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the role of preoperative H. pylori eradication vs non-treatment in the development of post-op complications in the setting of bariatric and metabolic surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Helicobacter pylori (HP) on metabolic and bariatric surgical complications through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search on the influence of HP infection on postoperative complications in bariatric surgery was conducted. The methodological quality of the included studies was rated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Rating scale. In case of consistent reporting of the data, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 19 studies containing 261,186 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 41.88 ± 7.40 years with a mean BMI of 45.53 ± 3.16 kg/m2. The mean follow-up was 21.72 months (range: 1-96 months). Testing for HP infections was often done using an esophagogastroduodenoscopy in combination with biopsy (42%). A urea breath test (59%) was the most common tool to confirm eradication. To eradicate HP, 2 weeks of PPI with antibiotics, 1 week of PPI with antibiotics, and PPI alone without antibiotics were used in 18 (67%), 3 (11%), and 6 (22%) studies, respectively. The prevalence of complications among patients with positive/negative HP was not significantly different (P > 0.05). In HP patients without preoperative eradication, odds ratio of bleeding was 1.48 (95% CI 0.80-2.73), ulcer was 6.88 (95% CI 5.60-8.45), leakage was 1.73 (95% CI 0.81-3.68), stricture was 1.13 (95% CI 0.30-4.21), and abscesses was 3.01 (95% CI 0.85-10.65). Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with potential postoperative complications, and therefore, it needs adequate treatment.

Epidemiology, pathogenicity, risk factors, and management of Helicobacter pylori infection in Saudi Arabia

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gastric microbial pathogen that infects approximately half of the global population. This bacterium significantly contributes to various gastroduodenal diseases, including chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcerations, and malignant transformations. This review focuses on epidemiology, pathogenicity, virulence genes, risk factors, and management of H. pylori infection, specifically within the context of Saudi Arabia. The results presented here are grounded in studies conducted in Saudi Arabia, contrasting with mere bibliographic reviews of findings from other countries. H. pylori infection has been observed in Saudi Arabia, with substantial differences in the prevalence, ranging between 10-96% among various studied populations. Several risk factors for H. pylori infection have been identified, encompassing socioeconomic status, medical history, personal hygiene, and behavioral practices. Among the virulence genes harbored by H. pylori, cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA) are most common, with their presence correlating with the pathogenicity and clinical manifestations of the associated diseases. A range of invasive and non-invasive diagnostic assays have been utilized to identify H. pylori infection, with their employment being influenced by factors like availability, cost, patient age, gastric symptoms, and the specifics of clinical information sought. While detection methods like the H. pylori stool antigen test and the urea breath test offer more accuracy and speed, culturing remains indispensable for determining the antimicrobial susceptibility profile. The emergence of resistant strains across varying regional settings poses a significant challenge to treatment endeavors, necessitating an assessment of local antimicrobial resistance rates prior to formulating treatment strategies. The findings of this review highlight the importance of continuous implementation of screening, control, and prevention of H. pylori infection to combat the spreading infection and other related complications.

Preoperative Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and the Effect on Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Preoperative oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) in bariatric surgery remains a controversial topic, with a large variety in practice globally. An electronic database search of Medline, Embase and PubMed was performed in an aim to categorise the findings of preoperative endoscopies in bariatric patients. A total of 47 studies were included in this meta-analysis resulting in 23,368 patients being assessed. Of patients assessed, 40.8% were found to have no novel findings, 39.7% had novel findings which did not affect surgical planning, 19.8% had findings that affected their surgery and 0.3% were ruled to not be suitable for bariatric surgery. Preoperative OGD is altering surgical planning in one-fifth of patients; however, further comparative studies are required to determine if each patient should undergo this procedure especially if asymptomatic.

Endoscopic Assessment Prior to Bariatric Surgery in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

There are marked local inconsistencies in the Arabian Peninsula about the role of preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in bariatric surgery. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the frequency of endoscopic and histological findings in the Saudi population presenting for pre-bariatric surgery evaluation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study that included all the patients who were evaluated by EGD at Dammam Medical Complex, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, between 2018 and 2021 as a part of their pre-bariatric-surgery evaluation.

RESULTS

A total of 684 patients were included. They consisted of 250 male and 434 female patients (36.5% and 63.5%, respectively). The mean ± standard deviation for the patients' age and body mass index (BMI) were 36.4±10.6 years and 44.6±5.1 kg/m², respectively. Significant endoscopic or histopathological findings as defined by the presence of large (≥ 2 cm) hiatus hernia, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett esophagus, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, or intestinal metaplasia were found in 143 patients (20.9%); 364 patients (53.2%) were diagnosed to have Helicobacter pylori infection.

CONCLUSION

The high number of significant endoscopic and histopathological findings in our study supports the routine use of preoperative EGD in all bariatric surgery patients. However, omitting EGD before Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in asymptomatic patients is still reasonable as the most frequently found significant findings, esophagitis, and hiatus hernia, are less likely to impact the operative plans in RYGB. Similarly, active surveillance and treatment of H. pylori infections in obese patients are important but it is not clear whether H. pylori eradication should be done before bariatric surgery.

Preoperative Assessment of Patients Undergoing Bariatric Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Saudi Arabia (SA) is one of the top countries in the world when it comes to the number of bariatric procedures performed each year. There is still some debate on whether to do regular or selective upper endoscopy during the preoperative examination. The purpose of this study was to explore various endoscopic findings and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients having laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) prior to surgery.

Methods

We investigated a cohort of 132 patients referred to the endoscopy unit from the bariatric surgery outpatient clinic for prebariatric esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as a part of preoperative LSG. Data extraction from medical records included clinical data such as body mass index (BMI), gastrointestinal symptoms (that include heartburn, regurgitation, epigastric pain, and nausea), medical comorbidities, and laboratory investigations. It included data about the endoscopic findings of EGD procedure as esophageal, gastric, and duodenal findings results as well as the results of biopsy specimens that were taken.

Results

Out of 132 patients, 29 (22%) had a BMI of less than 40 kg/m2 whereas 103 (78%) had a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or above, with an average of 44.4 ± 6.4 kg/m2. The average age of participants was 33.6 ± 10.4 years. HP was detected in 36 patients (35.0%) with a slightly greater prevalence in patients with a higher BMI (33.7%) than in patients with lower BMI (35.0%). Collectively, 73 patients (55.7%) had positive endoscopic findings of various grades, sites, and combinations. Incompetent cardia (35.6%) was the most often seen esophageal finding, antral gastritis (34.1%) was the most frequently encountered gastric finding, and duodenitis 1st part was the commonest duodenal endoscopic finding (7.8%). Among asymptomatic patients, incompetent cardia was detected in 33.3%, antral gastritis was found in 30.1%, and around one-quarter of them were positive on HP testing (26.6%). Additionally, 16.1% of them had signs of reflux esophagitis, 17.2% had hiatal hernia, and 14.0% had nodular gastritis.

Conclusion

The current study revealed a high prevalence of positive endoscopic findings as well as HP infection upon routine endoscopic examination among patients undergoing bariatric surgery even those who were asymptomatic from any gastrointestinal symptoms.

Preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings and effects on laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in area with high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection: multi-center experience in Iran

AIM

The current study aimed to evaluate EGD findings effects on laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) plan and time in areas with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and Helicobacter pylori testing are routine parts of preoperative assessment of bariatric surgery at many centers.

METHODS

This was a crosssectional study of all patients underwent EGD and histopathological examination before laparoscopic RYGB in three gastroenterology centers in Iran between January 2018 and December 2020.

RESULTS

In total, 637 patients (52.4% female) were enrolled, of which 46.8% had no abnormal mucosal appearance. In 1.7%, surgery was canceled (gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric intestinal metaplasia, GIST, and esophageal varices). The prevalence of H. pylori was 61.5%, and there was no statistical difference between groups of normal and abnormal EGD; however, surgery was postponed after H. pylori eradication in both groups. Overall, 44.4% of patients with esophagitis (any grade), peptic ulcer disease, erosive and non-erosive gastritis/duodenitis, and short segment Barret's esophagus needed medical management. Small- or medium-sized sliding hiatal hernias were seen in 18.7% of patients with no effect on surgery. Moreover, 88.8% of patients with normal mucosal appearance were asymptomatic, but 92.6% in the group with abnormal EGD were symptomatic (p=0.01). Changes in surgical plan and time occurred in 63.6%, but after eliminating H. pylori eradication, it was 15.4%.

CONCLUSION

Considering gastric cancer and the high prevalence of H. pylori in Iran, using EGD and histopathological examination as an investigation in the preoperative assessment would have a significant impact on patients undergoing RYGB surgery.

Upper gastrointestinal tract involvement in the management of bariatric patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background

Preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) may affect the management of bariatric patients although this is not consistent universally. The present prospective study evaluated the effect of preoperative EGD findings in obese Saudi patients, including upper digestive symptoms (UDS) and comorbidities, on their planned surgery.

Methods

From January 2018 to May 2019, we conducted a 4-center retrospective observational study to evaluate the endoscopic findings among Saudi patients aged 18-65 years with a body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m². Preoperative data included UDS, comorbidities, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection assessed during a histopathological examination, and EGD findings.

Results

717 patients underwent EGDs, and 432 underwent bariatric surgery. The mean BMI was 44.3±6.3 kg/m², and the mean age was 27.8±11.8 years. The overall UDS prevalence was 49%, with the most frequent being gastroesophageal reflux disease 54% (387/717), followed by dyspepsia 44% (315/717). H. pylori infection was detected in 287/672 (42.4%) patients. The total percentage of patients with normal EGD was 36% (258/717). A delayed bariatric procedure was performed in 15% of the patients for the following reasons: 2.3% had large polyps of >1 cm (either hyperplastic or cystic polyps); 1.62% had esophagitis grade C and D based on the Los Angeles classification; 0.7% had Barrett’s esophagus; and 5.7% had peptic ulcer disease.

Conclusions

Our findings confirmed that obesity carries a profound health burden with a significant impact on health expenditures. Routine preoperative EGD in the obese Saudi population appears to be mandatory to identify factors that may change, delay, or postpone the bariatric procedure.

Review - Helicobacter pylori and non-malignant upper gastro-intestinal diseases

This review takes into account recent publications focusing on the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and non-malignant diseases of the upper gastro-intestinal tract. The authors have summarized current knowledge on associations between the H pylori infection and non-malignant upper GI conditions including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett's esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), peptic ulcer disease (PUD), H pylori gastritis, celiac disease and functional dyspepsia. In the field of GERD, current data focusing on different locations of H pylori infection detect significant differences between antrum- and corpus predominant gastritis explainable by different changes in acid secretion in different gastric niches. High volume studies from Sweden and Brazil underline the safety of H pylori eradication concerning the risk of Barret's esophagus or adenocarcinoma. The relationship betweenH pylori infection and EOE remains uncertain, but current data supports the concept of expected positive and protective effects of H pylori exposure reducing the risk of EOE. Analyzing biomarkers might be helpful to identify subjects under risk for the development of precancerous lesions after H pylori infection, where microRNAs, IL-9 and IL-4, and also Tc17/9 and Th17/9 and microbiota profiles showed promising results to identify subgroups under risk.