Elsevier

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Volume 75, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 287-293
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Original article
Clinical endoscopy
Use of self-expandable stents in the treatment of bariatric surgery leaks: a systematic review and meta-analysis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gie.2011.09.010Get rights and content

Background

Bariatric surgery leaks can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic placement of self-expandable stents (SESs) is emerging as a less-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of leaks.

Objective

To evaluate the success of SESs in the treatment of bariatric surgery leaks.

Design

Studies using SESs in the management of bariatric surgery leaks were selected. Success of SES treatment was defined as radiographic evidence of leak closure after stent removal. Articles were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed, Ovid, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. Pooled proportions were calculated by using fixed- and random-effects models. Publication bias was calculated by using the Begg-Mazumdar and Harbord bias estimators.

Results

A total of 189 relevant articles were reviewed of which 7 studies (67 patients with leaks) met inclusion criteria. The pooled proportion of successful leak closures by using SESs was 87.77% (95% CI, 79.39%-94.19%). The pooled proportion of successful endoscopic stent removal was 91.57% (95% CI, 84.22%-96.77%). Stent migration was noted in 16.94% (95% CI, 9.32%-26.27%). Test of heterogeneity gave a P value >.10. There was no publication bias.

Limitations

Small retrospective studies, different types of stents used.

Conclusion

Endoscopic placement of SESs is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective alternative in the management of leaks after bariatric surgery. The use of SESs can minimize the need for surgical revision and improve patient outcomes.

Section snippets

Methods

The systematic review and meta-analysis were written in accordance with the proposal for reporting by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement.22 The study design for this meta-analysis and systematic review conformed to the guidelines of the MOOSE (Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) study group.23

Results

The initial search identified 1120 reference articles, in which 189 relevant articles were selected and reviewed. Data were extracted from 7 studies (67 patients with leaks) that met the inclusion criteria.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Figure 1 and Table 1 show the search results and studies included in this meta-analysis. The agreement between reviewers for the collected data gave a Cohen κ value of 1.0.

This systematic review and meta-analysis included patients who underwent several types of

Discussion

The incidence of bariatric postoperative leaks ranged between 0.1% and 5.6%4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 32, 33, 34, 35 and is considerably higher after revision surgery.10, 11, 36, 37 Several comorbid conditions have been associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications and may increase the likelihood of a leak developing. These risk factors include body mass index, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and hypertension. In addition to these factors, age older than 55 years, male sex, and

Conclusion

Postoperative leaks after bariatric surgery can result in significant morbidity and mortality, especially in patients who require reoperation. The use of covered stents is emerging as a minimally invasive and relatively safe and effective treatment approach for leaks after bariatric surgery. SES placement can be considered in patients who are hemodynamically stable with adequate drainage and when reoperation is not necessary. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that

References (38)

  • J. Colquitt et al.

    Surgery for morbid obesity

    Cochrane Database Syst Rev

    (2005)
  • H. Buchwald et al.

    Bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    JAMA

    (2004)
  • E.J. DeMaria

    Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity

    N Engl J Med

    (2007)
  • Y.D. Podnos et al.

    Complications after laparoscopic gastric bypass: a review of 3464 cases

    Arch Surg

    (2003)
  • J.S. Marshall et al.

    Roux-en-Y gastric bypass leak complications

    Arch Surg

    (2003)
  • T. Almahmeed et al.

    Morbidity of anastomotic leaks in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

    Arch Surg

    (2007)
  • R. Gonzalez et al.

    Anastomotic leaks after laparoscopic gastric bypass

    Obes Surg

    (2004)
  • A.Z. Fernandez et al.

    Experience with over 3,000 open and laparoscopic bariatric procedures: multivariate analysis of factors related to leak and resultant mortality

    Surg Endosc

    (2004)
  • C. Ballesta et al.

    Management of anastomotic leaks after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

    Obes Surg

    (2008)
  • Cited by (149)

    • Endoscopic management of surgical complications

      2024, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Gastroenterology
    • Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy to Treat Leak After Sleeve Gastrectomy

      2021, Journal of Surgical Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      The CT scans in both cases showed complete resolution of the fistula: 30 D for the first case and 42 D for the second. These results are very encouraging considering that a stent closes the fistula in a range of 41 D to 3.2 MO as found by Puli et al.13 Concerning the inflammatory markers, white blood cells normalized during the course of SCM-PRP injections.

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    DISCLOSURE: The following author disclosed financial relationships relevant to this publication: Dr. Thompson: consultant to Boston Scientific and Olympus. The other authors disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this publication.

    View full text