Hiatal hernia repair and gastroesophageal reflux disease in gastric banding patients: Analysis of a national database

Background: Hiatal hernia (HH) is a risk factor for complications after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), with recommendation to repair these at the time of LAGB placement. We reviewed the characteristics and outcomes of bariatric patients undergoing HR repair during LAGB. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HH repair in LAGB patients and its potential effect on outcomes. Methods: Using the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database, we identified patients who had hiatal hernia repair at the time of their LAGB (HHR group) and compared them to other LAGB patients without a HH repair (NonHHR group). Results: Of 41,611 patients who underwent LAGB during 2007-2010, 8120 (19.5%) had HH repair (HHR), adding only 4 minutes to the operating time, without an increase in blood transfusion, length of stay, or band-related complications. Preoperatively, the HER cohort had a higher incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) compared with nonHHR (49% versus 40%, respectively; P < .001) with a higher GERD score (1.13 versus .88, respectively; P < .001). Of those with GERD, similar percentage of patients in the HER and nonHHR groups experienced improvement 1-year after surgery (53% versus 52%, respectively, P = .4), with similar GERD scores at this time point. Conclusion: HH are repaired in one fifth of LAGB patients, with a surprisingly minimal increase in operative times and no change in length of stay, morbidity, or mortality. In patients with GERD, HR repair had minimal effect on postoperative improvements in reflux symptoms. These findings suggest that many of the repairs may involve small hernias with unclear clinical effect. (C) 2014 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved.