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Comparative Study
. 2008 May-Jun;4(3):383-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2007.08.014. Epub 2007 Nov 5.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and value of preoperative testing and treatment in patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Pavlos K Papasavas  1 , Daniel J Gagné, Patricio E Donnelly, Javier Salgado, Jorge E Urbandt, Kristen K Burton, Philip F Caushaj
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and value of preoperative testing and treatment in patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Pavlos K Papasavas et al. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2008 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and a greater incidence of anastomotic ulcer in patients positive for H. pylori, leading to recommendations for routine preoperative screening. Our hypotheses were that the prevalence of H. pylori in patients undergoing RYGB is similar to that of the general population and that preoperative H. pylori testing and treatment does not decrease the incidence of anastomotic ulcer or pouch gastritis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of H. pylori serology, preoperative and postoperative endoscopy findings, and the development of anastomotic ulcer or erosive pouch gastritis was performed. All patients positive for H. pylori received treatment. Univariate parametric and nonparametric statistical tests, as well as multiple logistic regression analyses, were performed.

Results: A total of 422 LRYGB patients were included in the study. Of these patients, 259 (61.4%) were tested for H. pylori and 163 (38.6%) were not. Of the 259 patients, 58 (22.4%) tested positive for H. pylori, 197 (76.1%) tested negative, and 4 (1.5%) had an equivocal result. Postoperatively, 53 patients (12.6%) underwent upper endoscopy. Of these 53 patients, 19 (4.5%) had positive endoscopy findings for anastomotic ulcer (n = 16) or erosive pouch gastritis (n = 3). Five patients underwent biopsy at endoscopy; all biopsies were negative for H. pylori. No difference was found in the rate of positive endoscopy between patients tested preoperatively for H. pylori (5%) and patients not tested (3.7%).

Conclusion: The results of our study have shown that the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients undergoing RYGB is similar to that of the general population. Our study has shown that H. pylori testing does not lower the risk of anastomotic ulcer or pouch gastritis.

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