Gastric Bypass with Long Alimentary Limb or Long Pancreato-Biliary Limb—Long-Term Results on Weight Loss, Resolution of Co-morbidities and Metabolic Parameters

Several studies indicate that increasing the alimentary limb length in gastric bypass surgery produces only a minor improvement of excess BMI loss. Few studies have addressed the efficacy of increasing the length of the pancreatico-biliary limb.

Here, we present a prospective randomized study of 187 consecutive laparoscopic Roux-Y gastric bypass operations operated over 2 years (2004–2005) in Iceland. The patients were operated with a gastric bypass with either a 2-m biliopancreatic (BP)-limb and a 60-cm alimentary (A)-limb (n = 93) or with a 150-cm A-limb and a 60-cm BP-limb (n = 94).

Preoperative median BMI was 44.1 (38–70), median age 35.5 (17–74) years, and 85 % of the patients were female. Follow-up rate after 5 years was 85 %. Eighteen months following surgery, the weight loss was significantly higher in the BP-limb group (p < 0.001), and this difference remained 7 years after surgery. Weight regain occurred in both groups, and 7 years after surgery, excess BMI loss (EBMIL) was 78.4 % in the BP-limb group compared to 67.1 % in the A-limb group (p < 0.001). Most patients (78 %) needed supplementation adjustment (iron, vitamin D and calcium) during the study period, significantly more often in the BP-limb group compared to the A-limb group (p < 0.001). Patients in the BP-limb group had more frequent stools than patients in the A-limb group; otherwise, gastro-intestinal symptoms rating scoring were comparable. Complication rate was similar.

Gastric bypass with a 2-m BP-limb gives better weight loss than gastric bypass with a 60-cm BP-limb and a 150-cm A-limb. Metabolic follow-up is of utmost importance, as most patients needed repeated adjustments of their supplementation.