Abstract
Purpose
Small bowel length is drawing attention in the development of gastrointestinal bariatric/metabolic surgery, but the importance of the length of the small bowel in bariatric/metabolic is not clear. The present study was conducted to investigate variations in small bowel length and their clinical significance in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).
Materials and Methods
Small bowel length was measured in 620 patients diagnosed with obesity who underwent LSG between March 2014 and August 2018. Prospectively obtained demographic and clinical data were investigated, focusing on the association between small bowel length and weight loss.
Results
Small bowel length varied widely among patients (mean 739.8 + 115.7 cm, range 380–1050 cm). Linear regression analysis revealed a significant association between small bowel length and body height, body weight, waist circumference, and serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin, C-peptide, glycated hemoglobin (A1C), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (r-GT). Multivariate analysis confirmed that body height and serum A1C% levels independently predicted small bowel length in bariatric patients, strongly with body height (p < 0.001) but weakly with A1C%(p = 0.021). One-year follow-up rate was 75.3% (467/620), and small bowel length did not influence weight loss or the reduction of obesity related cardiovascular risk factors after LSG.
Conclusion
In this study, small bowel length varied widely among bariatric patients and was strongly associated with body height and weakly with serum A1C levels. Small bowel length has no significant role in weight loss or the resolution of cardiovascular risk factors after LSG.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292:1724–37.
Sjöström L, Narbro K, Sjöström CD, et al. Effects of bariatric surgery on mortality in Swedish obese subjects. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:741–52.
Buchwald H, Oien DM. Metabolic/bariatric surgery worldwide 2011. Obes Surg. 2013;23(4):427–36.
Angrisani L, Santonicola A, Iovino P, et al. Bariatric surgery worldwide 2013. Obes Surg. 2015;25:1822–32.
Angrisani L, Santonicola A, Iovino P, et al. IFSO worldwide survey 2016: Primary, endoluminal, and revisional procedures. Obes Surg. 2018;28(12):3783–94.
Iaconelli A, Panunzi S, De Gaetano A, et al. Effects of biliopancreatic diversion on diabetic complications: a 10-year follow-up. Diabetes Care. 2011;34:561–7.
Sanchez-Pernaute A, Herrera AR, Perez-Aguirre MEP, et al. Single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S). One to three-year follow-up. Obes Surg. 2010;20:1720–6.
Ahuja A, Tantia O, Gyyal G, et al. MGB-OAGB: effect of biliopancreatic limb length on nutritional deficiency, weight loss, and comorbidity resolution. Obes Surg. 2018;28:3439–45.
Ghiassi S, Higa K, Chang S, et al. Conversion of standard Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to distal bypass for weight loss failure and metabolic syndrome: 3-year follow-up and evolution of technique to reduce nutritional complications. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2018;14(5):554–61.
Caruana TA, Monte SV, Jacobs DM, et al. Distal small bowel bypass for weight regain after gastric bypass: safety and efficacy threshold occurs at < 70% bypass. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2015;11:1248–56.
Ohta M, Seki Y, Wong SK, et al. Bariatric/metabolic surgery in the Asia-Pacific region: APMBSS 2018 survey. Obes Surg. 2019;29:534–41.
Lee WJ, Chen CY, Chong K, et al. Changes in postprandial gut hormones after metabolic surgery: a comparison of gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2011;7:683–90.
Yousseif A, Emmanuel J, Karra E, et al. Differential effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic gastric bypass on appetite, circulating acyl-ghrelin, peptide YY3-36 and active GLP-1 levels in non-diabetic humans. Obes Surg. 2014;24(2):241–52.
Kasama K, Tagaya N, Kanehira E, et al. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with duodenojejunal bypass: technique and preliminary results. Obes Surg. 2009;19:1341–5.
De Paula AL, Stical AR, Macedo A, et al. Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing 2 varians of laparoscopic ileal interposition associated with sleeve gastrectomy for patients with type 2 diabetes with BMI 21-34 kg/m2. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2010;6:296–305.
Melissa J, Peppe A, Askoxilakis J, et al. Sleeve gastrectomy plus side-to-side jejunoileal anastomosis for the treatment of morbid obesity and metabolic disease: a promising operation. Obes Surg. 2012;22:1104–9.
Santoro S, Castro LC, Nelhote MCP, et al. Sleeve gastrectomy with transit bipartition: a potential intervention for metabolic syndrome and obesity. Ann Surg. 2012;256:104–10.
Almo M, Sepulveda M, Gellona J, et al. Sleeve gastrectomy with jejunal bypass for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with body mass index < 35 kg/m2: a cohort study. Obes Surg. 2012;22:1097–103.
Lee WJ, Lee KT, Kasama K, et al. Laparoscopic single-anastomosis duodenal–jejunal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADJB-SG): short-term result and comparison with gastric bypass. Obes Surg. 2014;24:109–13.
Emile SH, Madyan A, Mahdy T, Elshobaky A, Elbanna HG, Abdel-Razik MA. Single anastomosis sleeve ileal (SASI) bypass versus sleeve gastrectomy: a case-matched multicenter study. Surg Endosc. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-020-07430-w.
Lee WJ, Chen JC, Yao WC, et al. Transumbilical 2-site laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: initial results of 100 cases and comparison with traditional laparoscopic technique. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2012;8(2):208–13.
Ser KH, Lee WJ, Lee YC, et al. Experience in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obese Taiwanese: staple-line reinforcement is important for preventing leakage. Surg Endosc. 2010;16:2253–9.
Chiu CC, Lee WJ, Wang W, et al. Prevention of trocar-wound hernia in laparoscopic bariatric operations. Obes Surg. 2006;16(7):913–8.
Backman L, Hallberg D. Small intestine length. An intraoperative study in obesity. Acta Chir Scand Suppl. 1974;140:57–61.
Guzman IG, Fitch LL, Varro RL. Small bowel length in hyperlipidemia and massive obesity. Am J Clin Nutr. 1977;30:1006–8.
Nordgren S, McPheeters G, Svaninger G, et al. Small bowel length in inflammatory bowel disease. Int J Color Dis. 1977;12:230–4.
Weaver LT, Austin S, Cole TJ. Small intestinal length: a factor essential for gut adaptation. Gut. 1991;32:1321–3.
Raines D, Arbour A, Thompson HW, et al. Variation in small bowel length: factor in achieving total enteroscopy? Dig Endosc. 2015;27(1):67–72.
Tacchino RM. Bowel length: measurement, predictors, and impact on bariatric and metabolic surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2015;11(2):328–34.
Purandare A, Phalgune D, Shah S. Variability of length of small intestine in Indian population and its correlation with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Obes Surg. 2019;29:3149–53.
Bekhelt M, Ibrahim MY, Tobar W, et al. Correlation between the total small bowel length and anthropometric measures in living humans: cross-sectional study. Obes Surg. 2020;30:681–6.
Rubino F, Marescaux J. Effect of duodenal- jejunal exclusion in a nonobese animal model of type 2 diabetes: a new perspective for an old disease. Ann Surg. 2004;239:1–11.
Thaler JP, Cummings DE. Minireview: hormonal and metabolic mechanisms of diabetes remission after gastrointestinal surgery. Endocrinology. 2009;150:2518–25.
Cefalu W, Rubino F, Cummings DE. Metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetes: changing the landscape of diabetes care. Diabetes Care. 2016;39:857–60.
Sjostrom L et al. Bariatric surgery and long-term cardiovascular events. JAMA. 2012;307(1):56–65.
Chen Y, Corsino L, Shantavasinkul P, et al. Gastric bypass surgery leads to long-term remission or improvement of type 2 diabetes and significant decrease of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Ann Surg. 2016;263:1138–42.
Lee WJ, Chong K, Ser KH, et al. Gastric bypass vs sleeve gastrectomy for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Surg. 2011;146:143–8.
Inabnet WB, Qinn T, Gagner M, et al. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in patients with BMI < 50: a prospective randomized trial comparing short and long limb bypass. Obes Surg. 2005;15(1):51–7.
Homan J, Boerboom A, Aarts E, et al. A longer biliopancreatic limb in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass improves weight loss in the first year after surgery: results of a randomized controlled trial. Obes Surg. 2018;28(12):3744–55.
Boerboom A, Homan J, Aarts E, et al. A long biliopancreatic limb and short alimentary limb results in more weight loss in revisional RYGB surgery: outcomes of the randomized controlled trialandomized controlled trial. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2019;15(1):60–9.
Miyachi T, Nagao M, Shikashi S, et al. Biliopancreatic limb plays an important role in metabolic improvement after duodenal-jejunal bypass in a rat model of diabetes. Surgery. 2016;159(5):1360–71.
Nora M, Morals T, Almeida R, et al. Should Roux-en-Y gastric bypass biliopancreatic limb length be tailored to achieve improved diabetes outcomes? Medicine. 2017;96(48):e8859.
Murad Jr AJ, Cohen RV, de Godoy EP, et al. A prospective single-arm trial of modified long biliopancreatic and short alimentary limbs Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in type 2 diabetes patients with morbid obesity. Obes Surg. 2018;28(3):599–605.
Almalki O, Lee WJ, Chong K, et al. Laparoscopic gastric bypass for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a comparison of Roux-en-Y versus single anastomosis gastric bypass. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2018;14(4):509–16.
Molinaro A, Wahlstrom A, Marschall HU. Role of bile acids in metabolic control. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2018;29(1):31–41.
Mika A, Kaska L, Proczko-Stepaniak M, et al. Evidence that the length of bile loop determines serum bile acid concentration and glycemic control after bariatric surgery. Obes Surg. 2018;28(11):3405–14.
Ise I, Tanaka N, Imoto H, et al. Changes in enterohepatic circulation after duodenal-jejunal bypass and reabsorption of bile acids in the bilio-pancreatic limb. Obes Surg. 2019;29:1901–10.
Shin RD, Goldberg MB, Shafran AS, et al. Revision of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with limb distalization for inadequate weight loss or weight regain. Obes Surg. 2019;29(3):811–8.
Lee WJ, Lin YH. Single-anastomosis gastric bypass (SAGB): appraisal of clinical evidence. Obes Surg. 2014;24:1749–56.
Chen JC, Shen CY, Lee WJ, et al. Protein deficiency after gastric bypass: the role of common limb length in revision surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2019;15(2):441–6.
Komaei I, Sarra F, Lazzara C, et al. One anastomosis gastric bypass-mini gastric bypass with tailored biliopancreatic limb length formula relative to small bowel length: preliminary results. Obes Surg. 2019;29:3062–72.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Almalki, O.M., Soong, TC., Lee, WJ. et al. Variation in Small Bowel Length and Its Influence on the Outcomes of Sleeve Gastrectomy. OBES SURG 31, 36–42 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04958-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04958-7