Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) may exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with a hiatal hernia (HH). Surgical repair may be needed, however prior LSG precludes standard HH repair with fundoplication.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our experience with bariatric patients with prior LSG undergoing laparoscopic HH repair from August 2010 to July 2016. Patient demographics and outcomes including mortality, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, reoperation, and complications were described. A validated 13-point questionnaire was used to determine symptomatic relief, weight loss, and overall satisfaction.
Results: A total of nine consecutive patients with prior LSG underwent HH repair and were included in the analysis. Repair was performed using Bio-A Gore® mesh (W.L Gore Inc., Newark, DE) in six (66.7%) cases and posterior cruroplasty in three (33.3%) patients. Heartburn was significantly decreased at 1 year (1.4 ± 0.9 vs. 2.6 ± 0.9, p = 0.031), and 78% of patients reported some degree of symptomatic relief after HH repair.
Conclusions: Laparoscopic HH repair offers a safe and feasible approach in the management of persistent GERD after LSG in well-selected bariatric patients. Larger prospective studies are warranted to investigate the effectiveness of HH repair in this population as 22% of our patients did not demonstrate postoperative symptomatic improvement.
Keywords: Fundoplication; GERD; Hiatal hernia repair; Longitudinal gastrectomy; Obesity; Sleeve gastrectomy.