Background: This study attempts to determine if enough pathological abnormalities in gastric remnants from sleeve gastrectomy exist to warrant full pathologic evaluation in all remnants.
Methods: Data was collected on patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy between 08/01/2011 and 06/30/2014. Significant abnormalities were classified as any pathology that might require follow-up or treatment beyond standard follow-up. Age, comorbidities, gender, and Helicobacter pylori titers were analyzed and compared with pathology specimens using 95% confidence intervals and Phi contingency coefficients.
Results: Full pathologic evaluation was available for 351/387 patients (91.2%). No examples of malignancy or dysplasia were identified. Gastritis was the most common abnormality. There was a statistically significant association between preoperative H. pylori and significantly abnormal pathology (p = 0.003). Other comorbidities had no association.
Conclusions: These results suggest that full pathologic evaluation of the gastric remnant following sleeve gastrectomy is unnecessary, particularly when gross pathology is not noted at initial operation.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Gastric remnant pathology; Obesity co-morbidity; Sleeve gastrectomy.
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