Approach to Marginal Ulceration Following RYGB Surgery: Laparoscopic Excision of the Marginal Ulcer and Retrocolic, Retrogastric Rerouting of the Roux Limb with Truncal Vagotomy and Hiatal Hernia Repair
Deborah D. Tsao, BS1; Janey Sue Pratt, MD2
1Stanford University School of Medicine
2Massachusetts General Hospital
Gastrogastric fistula is a rare complication following a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure wherein there is a communication between the proximal gastric pouch and the distal gastric remnant. Patients typically present with nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, intractable marginal ulcer, bleeding, reflux, poor weight loss, and weight regain. Etiologies include postoperative Roux-en-Y gastric bypass leaks, incomplete gastric division, marginal ulcers, distal obstruction, and erosion of a foreign body. Diagnosis is made through upper gastrointestinal contrast radiography or CT scan and endoscopy. Barium contrast radiography is particularly useful and is the preferred initial study method for the detection of staple-line dehiscence, which may be small and overlooked during endoscopy.
Once identified, a gastrogastric fistula may be treated surgically with remnant gastrectomy or gastrojejunostomy revision. This article presents a case of a female patient status post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery who presented with abdominal pain. Upon endoscopy, she was noted to have an inflamed gastric pouch and a gastogastric fistula. A laparoscopic gastric bypass revision was done to divide the gastrogastric fistula and to separate the gastric pouch from the gastric remnant in order to alleviate the inflamed gastric pouch and prevent further ulcer formation.