Efficacy and safety of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in symptomatic patients following fundoplication failure: a meta-analysis

Revisional surgery may be required in a subset of patients who remain symptomatic despite undergoing laparoscopic fundoplication (LF) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While revisional LF (RLF) is feasible in these patients, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) may serve as an alternative, although its efficacy and safety remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the outcomes of LRYGB in symptomatic patients following failed LF for GERD. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were systematically searched for studies reporting LRYGB outcomes in symptomatic adults despite undergoing LF for GERD. Postoperative symptom resolution, recurrence of heartburn and dysphagia, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, and body mass index (BMI) reduction were assessed to determine LRYGB efficacy. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were used to evaluate LRYGB safety. Twenty-two studies with 1523 patients were included. Pooled rates of symptom resolution, recurrence of heartburn and dysphagia, PPI use, morbidity, and mortality were 71.6% (95% CI 59.4-86.4), 15.6% (8.9-27.3), 20.7% (12.5-34.3), 29.6% (18.8-46.5), 39.5% (29.9-52.3), and 2.2% (1.2-4.0), respectively, following LRYGB. Similar rates were observed after RLF. However, BMI reduction was significantly greater after LRYGB compared with RLF (mean difference 6.1 kg/m², 4.8-7.4; p < 0.0001). LRYGB resulted in symptom relief in a majority of patients, and proved comparable to RLF regarding symptom recurrence and PPI use. Morbidity and mortality following LRYGB also did not differ from RLF. However, LRYGB was associated with considerably greater weight loss relative to RLF. Therefore, LRYGB is efficacious and an acceptable revisional procedure in symptomatic GERD patients who have previously undergone LF.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as a salvage procedure in complicated patients with failed fundoplication(s)

BACKGROUND

In symptomatic patients after failed fundoplication, reoperation is considered. In complex or obese patients, Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) may be the best operation. We sought to characterize the outcomes of patients with failed fundoplication to undergo salvage RYGB, and to compare these outcomes to patients undergoing reoperative fundoplication.

METHODS

A prospectively maintained database was queried for procedures performed at a single institution from 2011 to 2017. GERD health-related quality of life (HRQL) surveys were administered at defined intervals.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients underwent salvage RYGB and 84 patients underwent reoperative fundoplication. The RYGB cohort had a higher BMI (35.5 ± 6.8 vs. 28.7 ± 5.3, p < 0.01), more gastroparesis (52.8% vs. 9.5%, p < 0.01), more esophagitis (42.9% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.01), and more prior fundoplications (1.9 vs. 1.2, p < 0.01). The incidence of gastroparesis and esophagitis was directly related to the number of failed fundoplications (p < 0.05). Operative times were longer with RYGB (332.7 ± 131.5 vs. 200.0 ± 67.6 min, p < 0.01) as was length of stay (4.3 ± 3.4 vs. 2.8 ± 1.5 days, p = 0.02), incidence of Clavien-Dindo complications ≥ Grade 3 (19.4% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.01), 30-day reoperation (11.1% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.01), and 30-day readmission (32.4% vs. 11.9%, p < 0.01). In five patients with three or more prior fundoplication attempts, an esophagojejunostomy was necessary. If these patients are excluded, there was no difference for RYGB with gastrojejunostomy compared to reoperative fundoplication for complications, reoperations, or readmissions. GERD-HRQL scores were similar prior to surgery in both cohorts and improved significantly and to a similar degree on long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In a complex cohort of patients with high rates of obesity and numerous failed previous fundoplication attempts, conversion to RYGB results in good symptomatic outcomes. Patients with three or more previous fundoplication attempts are more likely to require esophagojejunostomy. Complication rates in this subset of patients appear to be quite high.