The safety and efficacy of clipping the staple line in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a worldwide health problem and is of particular importance in Saudi Arabia, where there is a high incidence of the disease. There are many surgical procedures for its management, including laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). However, this procedure has postoperative complications such as bleeding and leakage. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all patients who underwent LSG at King Khalid University Hospital under one surgeon from July 2015 to May 2018. The 146 patients were divided into a clipping group (n = 72) who underwent LSG with clipping of the staple line, and a nonclipping group (n = 74) who underwent LSG without clipping of the staple line. The incidence of postoperative complications, including bleeding and leak, was compared in the two groups. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding patient demographic criteria or risk factors for postoperative complications. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in postoperative bleeding (P = 1) or leak (P = 0.324). Conclusion: Clipping the staple line in LSG does not affect the rate of postoperative leaking or bleeding.