Conversion from mini bypass to laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass in an emergency setting: Case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION: It has been demonstrated that certain technique endpoints are key to the success for the OAGB and RYGB procedures but only a few texts in which post-operative complications are documented. PRESENTATION OF CASE: 42-year-old male patient admitted to the emergency department for presenting abdominal pain located in the epigastrium for 4 days, melenic evacuations and syncope on one occasion. Two years prior to admission, the patient underwent a single anastomosis bypass for grade III obesity. Gastric bypass mini revision surgery was performed an antecolic and antegastric gastrointestinal anastomosis was made with a 3 cm latero-lateral anastomosis; an intestinal-intestinal anastomosis was performed 60 cm from the gastric anastomosis. The length of the biliopancreatic loop (120 cm) and the feeding loop (60 cm) are reviewed. DISCUSSION: Performing an “en bloc” resection of the anastomosis is essential since bile reflux is one of the irritation mechanisms of the anastomosis but not the only one. The size of the gastric pouch directly influences the frequency of marginal ulcers, so during the OAGBP revision, the gastro-jejunal junction must be resected to remodel it, reducing the size of the gastric reservoir that allows to perform the new anastomosis in less inflamed tissue. Roux-en-Y reconstruction should be performed once the length of the biliopancreatic loop is verified and it does not exceed 150 cm and a short alimentary loop to avoid nutritional complications. Complications arising from bariatric procedures are varied, infrequent in well-trained surgeons, but severe in inexpert hands, leading to an increase in mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: We propose the laparoscopic conversion of OAGB to RYGB as a safe method, and feasible in hemodynamically unstable patients.