Changes of the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy findings in patients with severe obesity after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a short-term study

Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has rapidly gained acceptance all over the world owing to its technical simplicity, promising excellent outcome and safety. However, SG has its own complications that need a specialized management plan. Aim This study aimed to assess the potential gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) development and the upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy findings 1 year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Patients and methods Patients scheduled for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in our institution during the period from August 2019 to July 2020 who were free of GERD symptoms and had no hiatus hernia were eligible for the study. Patients underwent esophagogastro duodenal endoscopy 1 week before the operation and 1 year after the operation. Data of the patients were analyzed and compared. Results A total of 100 patients were included in the study. One year after the operation, 26 patients experienced GERD symptoms. However, there was an improvement in the esophagogastro duodenal endoscopy GERD findings compared with the preoperative examination. Conclusion SG had an overall amelioration of the preoperative GERD findings. Our work raises questions about the real effect of SG on GERD. However, larger long-term studies are still needed to validate the results.