Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in our experience after vertical banded gastroplasty. Our aim was to
determine the safety and efficacy of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease
complicating vertical banded gastroplasty. We evaluated prospectively collected data on 25 patients who underwent revisional
bariatric surgery because of severe gastroesophageal reflux disease after vertical banded gastroplasty. Only 4 of 25 patients
had gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms prior to vertical banded gastroplasty. Endoscopic findings in 24 patients included
esophagitis (SS%), Barrett’s esophagus (28%), pouchitis (29%), and gastritis (2 1%); 7 (28%) of 25 patients had evidence of
stenosis at the pouch outlet. Mean follow-up (complete in all 2 5) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was 3 7 ±7 months (range
3 to 102 months). There were no deaths. Post-operative complications occurred in six patients: pneumonia in two, wound infection
in two, prolonged drainage of the defunctionalized stomach via gastrostomy in one, and fever in one. Median hospitalization
was 7 days (range 5 to 43 days). At follow-up (3 7 ±7 months), 24 (96%) of 25 are completely or almost completely symptom
free. Body mass index was 33 ±2 kg/m2 before and 28 ±2 kg/m
2 after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (
P = 0.001). Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease are common after vertical banded gastroplasty. Conversion to Roux-en-Y
gastric bypass is safe, relieves gastroesophageal reflux disease, and promotes further weight loss. Moreover, maladaptive
eating (vomiting, and so forth) induced by vertical banded gastroplasty is relieved.
Key words Bariatric surgery - obesity - gastroesophageal reflux - vertical banded gastroplasty - Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Supported by the Mayo Foundation, Astra Pharmaceuticals AG, Basel, Switzerland, and the Department of Visceral and Transplantation
Surgery, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Presented in part at the Fortieth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Orlando, Fla., May 16–19,
1999, and published as an abstract in Gastroenrerology 116:A1348, 1999.