Sleeve Gastrectomy and Cholecystectomy are Safe in Obese Patients with Asymptomatic Cholelithiasis. A Multicenter Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a severe health problem. Gallstones may symptomatize after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Concomitant laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with SG is controversial. The effects of SG and LC versus delayed LC following SG in obese patients with asymptomatic gallbladder stones were evaluated. METHODS: A randomized trial of 222 morbidly obese patients with gallbladder stones divided them into two equal groups: SG + LC and SG-only. This multicenter study conducted from January 2016 to January 2019. RESULTS: Except for operative time and postoperative hospital stay, there was no statistically significant difference between LSG + LC group and SG group (P < 0.001). In SG + LC group, LC added 40.7 min to SG, three patients (3%) required conversion, early postoperative complications occurred in 9 cases (9/111, 9%), three cases required re-intervention (3%). In SG group, the complicated cases required LC were 61 cases (61/111, 55%). Acute cholecystitis (26/61, 42.7%) was the most common gallstone symptoms. Most complicated cases occurred in the first-year follow-up (52/61, 85%). In the delayed LC group (61 patients), operative time was 50.13 ± 1.99 min, open conversion occurred in 2 cases (2/61, 3.2%), early postoperative complications occurred in four patients (4/61, 6.4%) and postoperative re-intervention were due to bile leaks and cystic artery bleeding (2/61, 3.2%). CONCLUSIONS: SG with LC prolongs the operative time and hospital stay, but the perioperative complications are the same as delayed LC; LC with SG minimizes the need for a second surgery. Concomitant LC with SG is safe.