Spectrum of endoscopic findings and therapy in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms after laparoscopic bariatric surgery

Background: More should be known about the spectrum of endoscopic abnormalities and treatments in patients with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods: Patients referred for endoscopic evaluation of UGI symptoms after laparoscopic bariatric surgery were studied. Clinical manifestations, endoscopic findings and therapy were recorded and correlated. Results: 76 patients who had undergone laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (LVBG) and 28 who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) underwent 160 instances of upper endoscopy. The symptoms included nausea or vomiting (n=47, 29.4%), epigastric discomfort (n=44, 27.5%), UGI bleeding (n=26,16.3%), heartburn or acid regurgitation (n=26,16.3%), dysphagia (n=10, 6.3%) and anemia with dizziness (n=7, 4.4%). The endoscopic diagnosis consisted of normal findings (n=57,35.6%), marginal ulcer (n=39, 24.4%), erosive esophagitis or esophageal ulcer (n=21,13.1%), food impaction (n=21, 13.1%), stenosis or stricture (n=14, 8.8%), gastric ulcer (n=7, 4.4%), and duodenal ulcer (n=1, 0.6%). Patients with UGI bleeding, dysphagia and LRYGBP tended to have endoscopic abnormalities (P < 0.001, P=0.09 and P=0.021, respectively). Endoscopic therapy was successful in resolving the complications including stenosis, UGI bleeding and food impaction. Conclusions: Endoscopy is an essential method of combining relevant endoscopic findings and therapeutic intervention in symptomatic patients following laparoscopic bariatric surgery.