Feasibility and outcome of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in patients with Crohn's disease: Single‐centre experience at Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Combined obesity and Crohn's disease (CD) are becoming an increasing issue worldwide and in Saudi Arabia. In this series, we evaluate the feasibility and the outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in obese patients with CD. Methods This series is a retrospective analysis of our database with patients undergoing LSG from 2015 to 2020. Obese patients with CD were included. Results Sixty‐one obese patients with CD underwent LSG with a mean preoperative body mass index (BMI) of 42.6 ± 4.3. The mean excess weight loss (% EWL) at 3, 6, 9 months, and 1 year was 41 ± 1.8, 51 ± 2.3, 67 ± 1.2, and 71 ± 3.1, respectively. There were no identified intra‐operative complications. The mean intra‐operative time was 40 ± 20. Only one patient developed a postoperative leak and was treated conservatively. No late postoperative complications were reported. During the follow‐up period, 6 (9.8%) patients were noted to have CD‐related medications discontinued (azathioprine and sulfasalazine), and 8 (13.1%) patients showed a reduction in the dosage of their medications. Conclusion LSG appears to be a safe and effective option for carefully selected patients with CD.