Published in:
01-10-2011 | Clinical Report
Gastrobronchial fistula after sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass: endoscopic management and prevention
Authors:
Josemberg Marins Campos, Eduardo Franca Pereira, Luis Fernando Evangelista, Luciana Siqueira, Manoel Galvão Neto, Victor Dib, Marcelo Falcão, Vitor Arantes, Diego Awruch, Walton Albuquerque, João Ettinger, Almino Ramos, Álvaro Ferraz
Published in:
Obesity Surgery
|
Issue 10/2011
Login to get access
Abstract
Gastrobronchial fistula (GBF) is a serious complication following bariatric surgery, whose treatment by thoracotomy and/or laparotomy involves a high morbidity rate. We present the outcomes of endoscopic management for GBF as a helpful technique for its healing process. This is a multicenter retrospective study of 15 patients who underwent gastric bypass (n = 10) and sleeve gastrectomy (n = 5) and presented GBF postoperatively (mean of 6.7 months). Ten patients developed lung abscess and were treated by antibiotic therapy (n = 10) and thoracotomy (n = 3). Abdominal reoperation was performed in nine patients for abscess drainage (n = 9) and/or ring removal (n = 4) and/or nutritional access (n = 6). The source of the GBF was at the angle of His (n = 14). Furthermore, 14 patients presented a narrowing of the gastric pouch treated by 20 or 30 mm aggressive balloon dilation (n = 11), stricturotomy or septoplasty (n = 10) and/or stent (n = 7). Fibrin glue was used in one patient. We performed, on average, 4.5 endoscopic sessions per patient. Endotherapy led to a 93.3% (14 out of 15) success rate in GBF closure with an average healing time of 4.4 months (range, 1–10 months), being shorter in the stent group (2.5 × 9.5 months). There was no recurrence during the average 27.3-month follow-up. A patient persisted with GBF, despite the fibrin glue application, and decided to discontinue it. GBF is a highly morbid complication, which usually arises late in the postoperative period. Endotherapy through different strategies is a highly effective therapeutic option and should be implemented early in order to shorten leakage healing time.