GERD and acid reduction medication use following gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common comorbid medical condition of obesity. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has been associated with de novo and worsening GERD following surgery. For this reason, patients who suffer from GERD and are considering bariatric surgery are often counseled to undergo gastric bypass. Given this practice, we sought to determine acid reduction medication (ARM) utilization in bariatric surgical patients who undergo one of these procedures prior to surgery and at 1 year following surgery. A retrospective review of prospectively maintained data on patients to undergo gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy between November 2012 and December 2014 was conducted after IRB approval. ARM utilization and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Health-Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) scores [range 0 (no symptoms)-50 (severe GERD)] were compared prior to surgery and at 1 year postoperatively. 334 patients underwent an eligible procedure in the study interval. 147 patients (44 %) had data on both preoperative and 1 year postoperative ARM use (93 gastric bypass and 54 sleeve gastrectomy). ARM utilization prior to surgery in gastric bypass patients did not reach statistical significance when compared to sleeve gastrectomy (40.9 vs. 26 %, p = 0.07). GERD-HRQL scores were greater prior to surgery in gastric bypass patients (GERD-HRQL 8.2 vs. 1.9; p < 0.01). At 12 months postoperatively, sleeve gastrectomy patients had a significantly higher rate of overall ARM use (48.1 vs. 16.1 %, p < 0.01), new ARM use (35 vs. 7.3 %, p < 0.01), and persistent ARM use (78.6 vs. 21.9 %, p < 0.01) when compared to gastric bypass patients. GERD-HRQL scores were similar overall at 12 months postoperatively (4.4 bypass vs. 4.8 sleeve; p = 0.72). Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is associated with a significantly increased likelihood that acid reduction medications will be necessary for GERD symptom control 12 months postoperatively when compared to gastric bypass.