Endoscopic Management of Gastrobronchial Fistula after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Report

Bariatric surgery has rapidly emerged as a modality for managing morbid obesity; however, despite being considered safe, some complications do exist. Formation of a gastrobronchial fistula is a rare complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, novel endoscopic techniques have widely been adopted in the management of such cases, as they provide minimally invasive options that decrease the morbidity and mortality. Here, the author presents a report of a middle-aged, morbidly obese male who had previously undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and returned with a 3-month history of productive cough. On upper gastrointestinal series, the patient was found to have a fistula communicating the stomach to the bronchial tree of his left lung (gastrobronchial fistula). He was treated with endoscopic fistula closure using an over-the-scope clip and a fully-covered Niti-S metallic stent. After this treatment, the patient's symptoms improved dramatically, and the stent was successfully removed 12 weeks later. This report highlights the management of a patient with gastrobronchial fistula formation following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy as well as provides a literature review of using combined endoscopic management to treat gastrobronchial fistulas.