Early marginal ulcer following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass under proton pump inhibitor treatment: prospective multicentric study.

CONTEXT Causal factors of gastrojejunal ulcers after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass include peptic acid secretion from the gastric pouch. Esomeprazole is a potent inhibitor of acid secretion. OBJECTIVE To assess the occurrence of dyspepsia and gastrojejunal ulcers within the first 2 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass during the use of esomeprazole. METHODS One hundred eighteen morbid obese subjects were submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Preoperative upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy was negative for H. pylori. All subjects received esomeprazole for 60 days after surgery. RESULTS Two weeks after surgery only 13 mild symptoms were reported. After 2 months, 17 also moderate complaints were registered. Endoscopy around the 60th day showed esophagitis in 10 (8.5%), hiatal hernia in 2 (1.7%), foreign body in the anastomotic line in 12 (10.2%) and gastrojejunal ulcers was observed in 9 (7.6%) subjects, 2 of which had a suture material or metallic staple granuloma in the gastrojejunostomy. Ten subjects took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at least once during study, but none of them developed ulcer. None of the subjects with ulcer had dyspeptic symptoms. CONCLUSION The incidence of ulcer in the gastrojejunal anastomosis within the first 2 months following Rouxen-Y gastric bypass under proton pump inhibitors is considerable. It was not related to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, highlighting the possibility of ischemia and foreign body as causal factors. The ulcers were asymptomatic, and all post-surgical dyspeptic symptoms were moderate in severity.