Association of Long-term Anastomotic Ulceration After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass With Tobacco Smoking

Association of Long-term Anastomotic Ulceration After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass With Tobacco Smoking Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity, leading to long-term weight loss, improvements in quality of life, and reduction of obesity-associated comorbidities.1 However, long-term complications are reported. Importantly, concerns about such complications represent a considerable barrier for eligible patients considering surgery.2 A common long-term postoperative complication for the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedure is anastomotic ulceration (AU). Although AU after RYGB is a well-recognized adverse event, its documented incidence varies widely.3 Additionally, tobacco-smoking has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AU.4 The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of AU after RYGB and measure the association of tobacco smoking with long-term AU incidence.