Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:New York University Langone Health has three accredited bariatric centers, with altogether ten different bariatric surgeons. This retrospective analysis compares individual surgeon techniques in laparoscopic or robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) to identify potential associations with perioperative morbidity and mortality. METHODS:All adult patients who underwent RYGB between 2017 and 2021 at NYU Langone Health campuses were evaluated via electronic medical records and MBSAQIP 30-day follow-up data. We surveyed all ten practicing bariatric surgeons to analyze the relationship between their techniques and total adverse outcomes. Bleeding, SSI, mortality, readmission, and reoperation were specifically sub-analyzed via logistic regression. RESULTS:54 (7.59%) out of 711 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic RYGB encountered an adverse outcome. Lower adverse outcomes were observed with laparoscopic approach, creating the JJ anastomosis first, flat positioning, division of the mesentery, Covidien™ laparoscopic staplers, gold staples, unidirectional JJ anastomosis, hand-sewn common enterotomy, 100-cm Roux limb, 50-cm biliopancreatic limb, and routine EGD. Lower bleeding rates were observed with flat positioning, gold staples, hand-sewn common enterotomy, 50-cm biliopancreatic limb, and routine EGD. Lower readmission rates were observed in laparoscopic, flat positioning, Covidien™ staplers, unidirectional JJ anastomosis, and hand-sewn common enterotomy. Gold staples had lower reoperation rates. Otherwise, there was no statistically significant difference in SSI. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Certain surgical techniques in RYGB within our bariatric surgery group had significant effects on the rates of total adverse outcomes, bleeding, readmission, and reoperation. Our findings warrant further investigation into the aforementioned techniques via multivariate regression models or prospective study design. LIMITATIONS/CONCLUSIONS:This study was limited by the inherent nature of its retrospective and univariate statistical design. We did not account for the interaction between techniques. The sample size of surgeons was small, and follow-up of 30 days was relatively short. We did not include patient characteristics in the model or control for surgeon skill.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:With the continued increase in bariatric procedures being performed in the USA, a growing percentage are revisions for weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric banding (LAGB). Standard practice in the USA involves conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Internationally, one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) has become a popular and effective alternative. Without the jejuno-jejunal anastomosis, OAGB has reduced potential related long-term complications. The purpose of this study is to compare the short-term safety of revision to OAGB versus RYGB. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:Patients who underwent conversion to OAGB from LAGB or SG for weight regain from January 2019 to October 2021 were compared to BMI, sex, and age-matched patients who underwent conversion to RYGB. RESULTS:In our study, 82 patients were included, 41 in each cohort (41 OAGB vs. 41 RYGB). The majority in both groups underwent conversion from SG (71% vs. 78%). Operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay were comparable. There was no difference in 30-day complications (9.8% vs. 12.2%, p = .99) or reoperation (4.9% vs. 4.9%, p = .99). Mean weight loss at 1 month was also comparable (7.91 lbs vs 6.36 lbs). CONCLUSIONS:Patients undergoing conversion to OAGB for weight regain had similar operative times, post-operative complication rates, and 1-month weight loss compared to those who underwent RYGB. While more research is needed, this early data suggests that OAGB and RYGB provide comparable outcomes when used as conversion procedures for to failed weight loss. Therefore, OAGB may present a safe alternative to RYGB.

BACKGROUND:Assessment of eating disorder psychopathology during preoperative psychological evaluations could be facilitated with psychometrically valid measures. One of the most commonly used measures, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), is lengthy and has been found to have psychometric limitations. Research has identified a shorter version that has received reliable support across diverse samples but requires further validation for use with patients being evaluated for bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To cross-validate the factor structure of the EDE-Q: Brief Form (EDE-Q-BF, standalone, nonnested version) with patients being evaluated for bariatric surgery across English- and Spanish-language versions and establish measurement invariance for gender and language. SETTING/METHODS:Northeastern hospital in the United States. METHODS:Participants (n = 618) undergoing evaluations prior to bariatric surgery who identified as Hispanic/Latino/a/x and consented to participate in this research study (which did not influence eligibility for bariatric surgery) completed self-reports. Of the 618 participants, 92 were male and 526 were female, 318 preferred English and were administered English versions of the measures, and 300 preferred Spanish and were administered Spanish versions of the measures. RESULTS:[11] = 18.47; P = .071; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .033; comparative fit index [CFI] > .99; standardized root mean squared residual [SRMR] = .02). Scaler invariance was met for both gender and language. Correlations with external criteria further supported its validity. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The EDE-Q-BF can easily be administered as part of a preoperative psychological assessment battery to screen for eating disorder psychopathology and is valid for Hispanic/Latino/a/x men and women who speak either English or Spanish.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Ultrasound (US) is considered a first-line study for painless jaundice. However, in our hospital system, patients with new-onset painless jaundice often have a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) regardless of the sonographic findings. Thus, we investigated the accuracy of US for detection of biliary dilatation in patients with new-onset painless jaundice. METHODS:Our electronic medical record was searched from January 1, 2012, to January 1, 2020, for adult patients with new-onset painless jaundice. Presenting complaint/setting, laboratory values, imaging studies/findings, and final diagnoses were recorded. Patients with pain or known liver disease were excluded. A gastrointestinal physician reviewed the laboratory values/chart to classify the type of suspected obstruction. Two radiologists blindly re-reviewed the US scans, and κ between the radiologists was calculated. Fisher exact test and the 2-sample t test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS:Three hundred sixty patients presented with jaundice (>3 mg/dL), of whom 68 met the inclusion criteria (no pain and no known liver disease). Laboratory values had an overall accuracy of 54%, but were accurate in 87.5% and 85% for obstructing stones/pancreaticobiliary cancer. Ultrasound demonstrated overall accuracy of 78%, but only 69% for pancreaticobiliary cancer and 12.5% for common bile duct stone. Seventy-five percent of the patients underwent follow-up CECT or MRCP regardless of presenting setting. In the emergency department or inpatient setting, 92% of the patients underwent CECT or MRCP regardless of US, and 81% had follow-up CECT or MRCP within 24 hours. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:A US-first strategy in the setting of new-onset painless jaundice is accurate only 78% of the time. In practice, US was almost never a stand-alone imaging examination in patients presenting to the emergency department or inpatient setting with new-onset painless jaundice, no matter the suspected diagnosis based on clinical and laboratory grounds or on the US findings themselves. However, for milder elevations of unconjugated bilirubin (suspicious for Gilbert disease) in the outpatient setting, a US demonstrating lack of biliary dilatation was often a definitive study for exclusion of pathology.

BACKGROUND:Many insurance companies mandate medically supervised weight loss programs (MSWLPs) prior to bariatric surgery. This retrospective study aims to elucidate whether the average 6-month preoperative medical-management period decreases preoperative BMI for those with BMI ≥ 50. METHODS:All adult patients with bariatric consultation at any time at the New York University Langone Health campuses during the period 2015 to 2021 were evaluated via electronic medical records. Only patients with ≥ BMI 50, without previous bariatric surgeries, and those with 6-month insurance-mandated medical visits were included. A paired t-test was performed on the difference in BMI and percent-weight loss among the subjects at least 6 months before surgery and on the day of surgery. RESULTS:Of the 130 patients with BMI ≥ 50, undergoing preoperative 6-month office weigh-ins, the mean difference in BMI was - 1.51 (P < 0.01). The mean total body weight loss was 4.8% (P < 0.01). There were no intraoperative complications nor 30-day complications or mortality in the group. CONCLUSIONS:We found that there was weight loss during the 6-month insurance-mandated medical management prior to surgery, but the amount (4.8%) did not reach the goal target of 10% of body weight. We found that there were no complications and question the need for prolonged delay to surgery.

Obesity is a growing public health crisis in the United States and is associated with a substantial disease burden due to an increased risk for multiple complications, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. As highlighted in this review, obesity disproportionately affects the African American population, women in particular, regardless of socioeconomic status. Structural racism remains a major contributor to health disparities between African American people and the general population, and it limits access to healthy foods, safe spaces to exercise, adequate health insurance, and medication, all of which impact obesity prevalence and outcomes. Conscious and unconscious interpersonal racism also impacts obesity care and outcomes in African American people and may adversely affect interactions between health care practitioners and patients. To reduce health disparities, structural racism and racial bias must be addressed. Culturally relevant interventions for obesity management have been successfully implemented that have shown benefits in weight management and risk-factor reduction. Strategies to improve health care practitioner-patient engagement should also be implemented to improve health outcomes in African American people with obesity. When managing obesity in African American people, it is critical to take a holistic approach and to consider an individual's social and cultural context in order to implement a successful treatment strategy.

Obesity is known to be epidemiologically associated with malignancy. Although there is an increasing global number of bariatric surgeries, the relationship between bariatric surgery and esophagogastric cancers is not well understood. Diagnosis of esophagogastric cancers following bariatric surgery is challenging because the presentation tends to be nonspecific and may be perceived as usual postoperative symptoms in bariatric patients. Therefore, the early diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. In addition, endoscopic investigation of the excluded stomach after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or a one-anastomosis gastric bypass is technically challenging, which further complicates the diagnosis. The aim of this study is to review the current evidence in the literature on esophagogastric cancers following bariatric surgery.

AIM/OBJECTIVE:The Diabetes risk index (DRI) is a composite of NMR-measured lipoproteins and branched chain amino acids predictive of diabetes mellitus development. Bariatric surgery is indicated in patients with severe obesity, many of whom are at high-risk for developing diabetes. Substantial weight loss occurs following bariatric surgery and sustained weight loss likely contributes to reductions in the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, some evidence suggests that bariatric surgical procedures themselves may contribute to reducing risk of these conditions independent of weight loss. We aimed to investigate DRI and its association with reductions in body weight and adiposity over one year following bariatric surgery. METHODS:; n = 15). RESULTS:, but DRI decreased so that it no longer differed from that of normal BMI controls (1.9 [1, 17] vs control 12 [1, 20]; p = 0.35). Subjects continued to lose weight, whereas DRI remained similar, throughout follow-up with DRI 1.0 [1, 7] at 12 months. Changes in DRI did not correlate with changes in BMI, body weight or waist circumference at any time during follow-up. There was no difference in change in DRI between surgical procedures or pre-operative metabolic syndrome status. CONCLUSIONS:Our analysis of DRI scores supports the capacity of bariatric surgery to reduce risk of developing diabetes in severely obese individuals. Our findings suggest that bariatric surgical techniques may have inherent effects that improve cardiometabolic risk independent of reductions in body weight or adiposity.

Introduction: This survey of international experts in obesity management was conducted to achieve consensus on standardized definitions and to identify areas of consensus and non-consensus in metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) to assist in an algorithm of clinical practice guidelines for the management of obesity. Methods: A three-round Delphi survey with 136 statements was conducted by 43 experts in obesity management comprising 26 bariatric surgeons, 4 endoscopists, 8 endocrinologists, 2 nutritionists, 2 counsellors, an internist, and a pediatrician spanning six continents over a 2-day meeting in Hamburg, Germany. To reduce bias, voting was unanimous, and the statements were neither favorable nor unfavorable to the issue voted or evenly balanced between favorable and unfavorable. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% inter-voter agreement. Results: Consensus was reached on all 15 essential definitional and reporting statements, including initial suboptimal clinical response, baseline weight, recurrent weight gain, conversion, and revision surgery. Consensus was reached on 95/121 statements on the type of surgical procedures favoring Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. Moderate consensus was reached for sleeve gastrectomy single-anastomosis duodenoileostomy and none on the role of intra-gastric balloons. Consensus was reached for MBS in patients > 65 and < 18 years old, with a BMI > 50 kg/m², and with various obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes, liver, and kidney disease. Conclusions: In this survey of 43 multi-disciplinary experts, consensus was reached on standardized definitions and reporting standards applicable to the whole medical community. An algorithm for treating patients with obesity was explored utilizing a thoughtful multimodal approach. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]