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Gastroesophageal Reflux, Obesity, and Bariatric Surgery

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Obesity, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

Abstract

Bariatric surgery has been widely adopted as the most effective treatment modality for Obesity achieving long-term weight loss. It prevents the development and/or progression of obesity-associated chronic conditions and metabolic disorders. Obesity and its impact on a wide range of comorbidities are well known, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD if left untreated, can lead to a wide array of complications ranging from esophagitis, stricture, Barrett’s metaplasia, and cancer. There is accumulating evidence that obesity itself is a risk factor for longstanding GERD. It is increasingly accepted that symptoms are an unreliable marker of the presence or absence of GERD in the obese population. It should be expected that bariatric surgery should result in improvement in symptoms of GERD and reduce the impact of its associated complications by the achieving weight loss alone. In reality, however, different bariatric surgical procedures have varying impact on pre-existing GERD and can themselves be risk factors for the development of de novo GERD.

While Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) appears to produce a beneficial effect on GERD, other procedures like sleeve gastrectomy (SG), one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), and adjustable gastric banding (AGB) have been linked with increased prevalence of GERD. Adequate evaluation and patient counseling are paramount before planning surgical intervention to achieve durable weight loss and GERD resolution. It is also extremely important to explain the risk of GERD to patients undergoing refluxogenic bariatric surgery procedures and the potential long-term complications.

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Nagammapudur, B., Salgaonkar, H. (2022). Gastroesophageal Reflux, Obesity, and Bariatric Surgery. In: Agrawal, S. (eds) Obesity, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54064-7_120-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54064-7_120-1

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