In Roux-Y gastric bypass surgery pouch formation is the most demanding part of the operation. The vagal nerve is usually tempted to be preserved although results reporting beneficial effects are lacking. Dividing the perigastric tissue including the anterior vagal trunk may technically alleviate gastric pouch formation. We evaluated the clinical outcome in patients with and without vagal nerve dissection in patients after Roux-Y gastric bypass (RY-BP).

In this study 40 morbidly obese patients undergoing RY-BP have been included. Patients were divided into two groups according to vagal nerve preservation (Group 1, n = 25) or vagal nerve dissection (Group 2, n = 22). Clinical parameters (weight loss, complications, gastrointestinal symptoms), esophageal endoscopy, and motility data (manometry, pH-metry) and a satiety score were assessed. Serum values of ghrelin and gastrin were measured.

All procedures were performed by laparoscopy with a 0% mortality rate. One patient of each groups necessitated redo-laparoscopy (bleeding and a lost drainage). All patients significantly reduced body weight (p < 0.01 compared to preoperative) during a median follow-up of 36.1 months. Two patients of Group 2 showed acid reflux demonstrated by pathologic postoperative DeMeester scores. Esophageal body peristalsis and barium swallows did not reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups. Parameters of satiety assessment did not differ between the two groups as did serum values of gastrin and ghrelin.

Pouch formation during RY-BP may be alleviated by simply dissecting the perigastric fatty tissue. In this way the anterior vagal trunk is dissected, however, no influence on clinical, functional and laboratory results occur.