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Comparative Study
. 2025 Mar;35(3):952-959.
doi: 10.1007/s11695-025-07707-w. Epub 2025 Feb 5.

Retrospective Cohort Study of Gastric Bypass Versus Sleeve Gastrectomy in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Patients: Procedure Use and Racial Disparity

Conrad Weiss  1 , Julia Botvinov  1 , Aram Jawed  1 , Aziz Merchant  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Retrospective Cohort Study of Gastric Bypass Versus Sleeve Gastrectomy in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Patients: Procedure Use and Racial Disparity

Conrad Weiss et al. Obes Surg. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are common bariatric procedures, with GERD being a frequent obesity-associated disease among individuals undergoing these surgeries. RYGB is recommended for patients with GERD due to the increased control of GERD symptoms. This study examines RYGB and SG use in this population and factors influencing procedure choice.

Methods: This study analyzed 2016-2022 data from the MBSAQIP database comprising patients with GERD who underwent SG or RYGB. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with procedure receipt.

Results: RYGB rates are rising annually but remain lower than SG for GERD. Compared to White individuals, Hispanics are 14% less likely, and African Americans are 19% less likely, to receive RYGB.

Conclusions: The study notes a research gap in choosing RYGB or SG for patients with GERD, despite consensus favoring RYGB. It highlights a disparity between recommendations and practice, with GERD predicting the use of RYGB but SG being more prevalent in this population overall. The analysis links race to procedure choice, showing African American and Hispanic patients are less likely to undergo RYGB, indicating potential disparities in access and decision-making.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Gastric bypass; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Racial disparity; Socioeconomic disparity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

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