OAGB and RYGB Weight Loss Procedures Feature Similar Early Safety Profiles

Outside the United States, one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) procedures have become widely adopted. A recent study suggests that the OAGB procedures feature an early postoperative safety profile similar to that of the more commonly performed Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) weight loss procedure. Findings from this study were published in a recent edition of Surgical Endoscopy.

A small team of researchers from Stony Brook University in New York utilized the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) public use files to identify matched adult patients who underwent primary OAGB (n=279) and RYGB (n=279) from 2015 to 2018.

The primary outcome of the analysis was the occurrence of adverse events (AEs), a composite variable for any captured complication, reoperation, readmission, reintervention (endoscopic or image-guided) or mortality within 30 days post-operatively.

Approximately 4.3% (n=12) of patients who underwent OAGB experienced complications, and 1.1% (n=3) of these patients received a diagnosis of anastomotic leaks. In contrast, 5% (n=14) of patients who underwent RYGB experienced complications, including 1.8% (n=5) who had anastomotic leaks. The overall AE rate in the unmatched population of patients who underwent RYGB was 10.2%, while the overall AE rate in the OAGB group was 9.1%.

In the OAGB group, the reintervention rate was 2.5%, the reoperation rate was 3.2%, and the readmission rate was 5.3%. The reintervention, reoperation, and readmission rates in the RYGB group were 1.8%, 1.8%, and 3.2%, respectively.

One limitation of this study was the inclusion of patients from only those centers within a single healthcare system. This may have resulted in a sample that was not representative of all patients who undergo the studied procedures.

The investigators concluded that while the “study highlights that perioperative risks of OAGB should not be of a concern regarding its adoption,” the use of “OAGB does not seem to be associated with an improved safety profile over RYGB.”

Disclosure: Several study authors declared affiliations with industry. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.

Reference

Docimo S, Yang J, Zhang X, Pryor A, Spaniolas K. One anastomosis gastric bypass versus Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a 30-day follow-up review. Published online February 16, 2021. Surg Endosc. doi:10.1007/s00464-021-08309-0