Effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in the prevention of gallstone formation after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Abstract

Background

Bariatric surgery is a critical risk factor for cholelithiasis. This study aimed to investigate the role of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the prevention of gallstone formation after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in morbidly obese patients.

Methods

Patients who underwent SG for morbid obesity from January 2016 to September 2016 were evaluated. Patients without hepatobiliary disorders were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they did (Group I) or did not receive treatment with UDCA (Group II). Indication for UDCA treatment was symptomatic alkaline reflux. Demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, preoperative blood parameters, early and late period weight loss rates, and gallstone development were monitored and compared between the groups.

Results

Ninety-six of 155 patients met the inclusion criteria. Group I and II included 49 and 47 patients, respectively. The mean age was 39.1 ± 10.8 (range 18–69) years and the mean follow-up period was 20.75 ± 6.6 (range 12–34) months. Gallstone formation was significantly lower in Group I compared to Group II [5 patients (10.2%) vs. 21 patients (44.6%), p<.001]. Moreover, the absence of UDCA treatment was independently and significantly associated with gallstone formation (hazard ratio: 3.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.73–5.50; p<.001) in multivariate analyses. There was no difference in weight loss rates between the two groups at the early or late periods.

Conclusions

Treatment with UDCA seems to be effective in the prevention of gallstone formation after sleeve gastrectomy. Furthermore, early and late period weight loss rates were not found to have significant effects on the risk of cholelithiasis.

Keywords:

• Bariatric surgery
• cholelithiasis
• gallstone
• sleeve gastrectomy
• ursodeoxycholic acid

Disclosure statement

The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, related to the material presented herein.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the preparation of the manuscript.