Effects of short or long biliopancreatic limb length after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for obesity: a propensity score-matched analysis

• Published in: Langenbeck's archives of surgery Vol. 407; no. 6; pp. 2319 - 2326
• Main Authors: Eckharter, Christoph, Heeren, Nickolaus, Mongelli, Francesco, Sykora, Martin, Fenner, Hartwig, Scheiwiller, Andreas, Metzger, Jürg, Gass, Jörn-Markus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Cardiac Surgery; General Surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Thoracic Surgery; Traumatic Surgery; Vascular Surgery; Obesity; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; Biliopancreatic limb length; Outcomes; Bariatric surgery
• ISSN: 1435-2451; 1435-2443; 1435-2451
• DOI: 10.1007/s00423-022-02537-1

Purpose Although recent studies reported superior weight reduction in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with long biliopancreatic limb (BPL), no recommendation regarding limb lengths exists. This study compares weight loss and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities in patients undergoing RYGB with either long or short BPL. Methods A retrospective data search from medical records was performed. A total of 308 patients underwent laparoscopic RYGB with a BPL length of either 100 cm or 50 cm. Data was analyzed before and after propensity score matching. Results No statistically significant difference in weight reduction between long and short BPL RYGB in terms of percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) (86.4 ± 24.5 vs. 83.4 ± 21.4, p  = 0.285) and percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) (32.4 ± 8.4 vs. 33.0 ± 8.3, p  = 0.543) was found 24 months after surgery. Propensity score–matched analysis did not show any statistically significant difference between groups in both %EWL and %TWL. No significant difference between long and short BPL RYGB in the resolution of obesity-related comorbidities was noted 24 months after surgery. Conclusion Weight loss and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities were not significantly different between long and short BPL RYGB 24 months after surgery.