Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus duodenal switch in patients with body mass index ≥50 kg/m2: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Currently, there is no consensus on the best bariatric surgery type for patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥50 kg/m². This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare outcomes of duodenal switch (DS) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in terms of weight loss, resolution of obesity-related comorbidities, and complications among patients with a BMI ≥50 kg/m². A systematic search was conducted across databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science to include studies that compared outcomes of DS and RYGB in patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m². A meta-analysis was carried out, alongside subgroup analyses based on the type of study and duration of follow-up. Twelve articles were included in this study (2678 patients, follow-up: 1–15 years). Patients with DS had 7.31 kg/m² higher BMI loss (95% CI: 5.59–9.03, P < .001) and 9.9% more total weight loss (95% CI: 4.47–15.28%, P < .001) compared with RYGB. The rate of complications, reoperation, mortality, and remission of comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea was not significantly different between DS and RYGB. Rate of malnutrition was 8.3% in the DS group compared with 1.2% in RYGB (OR: 5.53, 95% CI: 1.35–22.44, P = .02). In addition, 5.4% DS patients needed revisional surgery for malnutrition versus none in RYGB (OR: 6.1, 95% CI: 1.03–36.33, P = .05), and 24.6% of DS patients developed gallbladder disease needed cholecystectomy versus 4.5% after RYGB (OR: 6.36, 95% CI: 1.70–23.82, P = .01). DS leads to significantly higher BMI and total weight loss in patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m² but may be associated with a higher rate of major malnutrition and needed revisional surgery. These should be considered in surgical planning.