title: Histological esophagitis before and after surgical treatment of morbid obesity (Capella technique): a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of vertical banded gastroplasty/Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (Capella) on the esophageal mucosa of patients with histological esophagitis are poorly understood. To evaluate long-term effects, we investigated the persistence, aggravation or disappearance of histological esophagitis in patients with morbid obesity and reflux esophagitis (diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with morbid obesity and esophagitis (histological diagnosis) were submitted to gastric bypass (Fobi-Capella technique) and underwent upper endoscopy and esophageal biopsy during the late postoperative period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 42.57 +/- 7.49 years (30 to 56). Nineteen (90.48%) patients were women, and two (9.52%) were men. Before surgery, the patients presented a mean weight of 124.26 +/- 19.09 kg and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 48.46 +/- 6.37 kg/m(2). Thirteen (61.90%) patients had endoscopic esophagitis before surgery. The mean weight and BMI were 81.65 +/- 13.16 kg and 31.91 +/- 4.99 kg/m(2), respectively, during the late postoperative period (29.80 +/- 8.91 months). The mean percentage of excess weight loss was 68.7 +/- 14.6%. Among the 21 patients with a preoperative histological diagnosis of reflux esophagitis, five (23.18%) had the same diagnosis after surgery, and four (19.04%) continued to present findings of endoscopic esophagitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vertical banded gastroplasty/Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (Capella technique) is effective in the treatment of reflux esophagitis. No association was observed between the percentage of excess weight loss and improvement of esophagitis.
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belo Horizonte, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av.Contorno, 4747, sala 1108-1109, 30110-090 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. gal@gal.med.br
authors.forename: Galzuinda Maria Figueiredo
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Savassi-Rocha
authors.forename: Ana Margarida M F
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Marcílio José Rodrigues
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Silas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Vitor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arantes
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Omar Lopes
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Cançado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss