Which of the two most common bariatric surgeries – gastric sleeve or gastric bypass – has the highest subsequent risk of additional operations or procedures? According to a study in JAMA Network Open, gastric bypass surgery is associated with a slightly higher risk of returning to the operating room or having other types of interventions, such as endoscopy.
“If you’re having bariatric surgery and trying to decide between a sleeve and a bypass, this may be really important to know,” said Kristina H. Lewis, MD, corresponding author of the study and assistant professor of epidemiology and prevention at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
The research team analyzed data from 4,476 patients undergoing bypass and 8,551 patients undergoing sleeve to determine the primary outcome of any abdominal operative intervention after the initial procedure. Patients were followed for up to four years after surgery.
The team found that bypass patients were about 20% more likely to have additional operations on their abdomen than a similar group of sleeve patients.
Research Funding
Research was supported by the following grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
Study Shows Risks for Additional Procedures after Bariatric Surgery: Grants R01DK112750 and P30DK092924 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.