Post written by Bashar J. Qumseya, MD, MPH, from the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

The study focused on the rate of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) in patients who undergo endoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) for weight loss.

My dentist informed me that he was seeing cases of very severe GERD resulting in severe teeth erosion in patients who had bariatric surgery. At the same time, I was seeing more and more patients who had severe GERD symptoms after sleeve gastrectomy. We know that GERD is the major risk factor for Barrett’s esophagus, which is a major risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. I wanted to assess the risk of Barrett’s in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy.

Our study shows that BE is common in patients who had SG. 11.6% of patients developed BE in follow-up. The rate of esophagitis increased by 13% every year post operatively.

Gastroenterologists, primary care providers, and bariatric surgeons should be aware of the above data. Careful discussion with patients regarding the risks of SG before the procedure, and the risk-benefit assessment of screening for BE after SG, should be considered.

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