24-h Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance PH-metry 1 Year After Laparocopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: an Objective Assessment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

It is not yet clear if laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) causes newly onset gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or worsens already existing GERD. This is due to the absence of prospective studies using objective assessment measures of GERD such as pH monitoring. Our study aims at assessing GERD 1-year post-LSG procedure for obesity. Twelve asymptomatic obese patients were studied prospectively by using 24-h multichannel intraluminal impedance-pHmetry (MIIpH) pre- and 12 months post-LSG. Of patients' 1-year post-LSG, 83.33 % of patients' suffer from GERD (either newly onset or worsening of already existing) as indicated by abnormal DeMeester score. Mean DeMeester score 1-year post LSG was 47, almost 2.5 times higher than the preoperative score (p = 0.072). The percentage of total time with pH lower than four was statistically significant higher postoperatively (13.27 % vs 3.87 %, p = 0.048). This study is one of the few assessing GERD post-LSG by using 24-h MIIpH. The majority of patients suffer from GERD 12 months postoperatively, implying that close postoperative monitor for GERD with the use of pH testing and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in order to early diagnose GERD and identify possible mucosal injury and also a prophylactic proton pump inhibitor use may be of great importance.