A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Patients Who Have Had Longitudinal Sleeve Gastrectomy With Posterior Crural Repair Versus Without Posterior Crural Repair

Longitudinal Sleeve gastrectomy is a type of Bariatric surgery where the stomach is divided vertically, reducing it to about 25% of its original size. Obesity itself is an independent risk factor for Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however it has been observed in the bariatric surgical community that many Longitudinal Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) patients are complaining of persisted GERD symptoms after LSG surgery. The incidence of GERD in these patients have been reported to be as high as 26%. GERD is an uncomfortable and dangerous disease, and if remains unchecked, it can cause ulcer disease, esophagitis, and even esophageal cancer. Because of this, bariatric surgeons want to reduce incidence of GERD after LSG, which led to multiple additions to the LSG procedures, which are currently being examined, namely, combined fundoplication with the sleeve, banded sleeve and a combined hiatal repair with SG. However, there have been no randomized comparative clinical trials to evaluate GERD as an endpoint after LSG.

Of all the possible solutions to treat increased reflux after LSG, mentioned previously, repairing the hiatus at the time of surgery makes the most sense physiologically. LSG dissection requires the obliteration of the left phrenoesophageal ligaments that hold the GE junction in place. This essentially creates a weakness in the hiatus that can lead to hiatal hernia and subsequent reflux disease. Crural repair at the time of surgery strengthens the GE junction and reduces the possibility of hiatal hernia formation. Closing the crus around the esophagus may prevent the sleeve from herniating into the chest and reduces the occurrence of reflux by repositioning the GE junction into it0s normal location in the abdomen.