Chylous cyst formation following laparoscopic fundoplication

Formation of an abdominal chylous cyst is a rare event, predominantly occurring after spinal, vascular or urologic retroperitoneal surgery. As far as we know, the presented case is the first report in the literature of chylous cyst formation after laparoscopic fundoplication. A 57-year-old man with a history of a conservatively treated spinal compression fracture (T11/12) underwent laparoscopic fundoplication in 1996 for recurrent heartburn with insufficient response to treatment with PPI. His reflux symptoms disappeared but over the following years he developed intermittent abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. Gastroscopy in 2002 revealed a slight compression of the distal esophagus. CT scan revealed a cystic formation next to the distal esophagus which was initially interpreted to be part of the fundoplicate itself. Aggravation of symptoms and weight loss was noted in 2006. A further CT scan revealed a 7 cm cyst along the fundoplicate and the lesser curvature of the stomach. The cyst was subsequently drained laparoscopically. Cholesterol (351 mg/d), LDL-cholesterol (263 mg/dl), triglycerides (334 mg/dl) and chylomicrons led to the diagnosis chylous cyst and the patient was put on a medium-chain triglyceride diet. After 12 weeks the discharge stopped and the drain was removed. The patient remained symptom-free for seven months but then presented again with the same complaints. This time an even larger cyst was diagnosed, extending from the lesser curvature of the stomach through the esophageal hiatus up to the right atrium. A Roux-en-Y chylous cystojejunostomy was then performed and has solved the problem up to the present. A chylous cyst may develop after laparoscopic fundoplication. If simple drainage fails, a cystojejunostomy can solve this problem.