Abstract
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is currently a stand-alone bariatric procedure with a low complication profile. A rare complication of leak following sleeve gastrectomy was reported in this study. Its rareness and nonspecific clinical presentation could make the diagnosis difficult and could be easily confused with leak and subdiaphragmatic abscess. A 22-year-old Saudi female with body mass index 41 underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in 2017, presented 18 months later to emergency department complaining of fever and abdominal pain for 3 months prior to presentation. Computed tomography of abdomen revealed a large splenic abscess, upper gastrointestinal studies were unremarkable. Patient was taken for laparoscopic exploration with finding of splenic abscess and gastric fistula, splenectomy and clipping of fistula was performed. The management of splenic abscess remains controversial. Splenectomy and antibiotics have generally been the definitive treatment particularly with large multilobulated collection. Familiarity with the rare complications as splenic abscess will allow for a prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Introduction Bariatric surgery has become one of the most rapidly growing subspecialty performed globally, and it has been well reported to be associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. Splenic abscess is a rare but serious complication of bariatric surgery that has not been previously systematically reviewed in the literature. Methods The authors have performed a systematic review of the evidence that has looked into the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and the management options of splenic abscess complicating bariatric surgery. Results This systematic review has been unsurprisingly based on level-IV evidence due to the rarity of the explored condition. The final analysis included 27 relevant reported cases. The mean age was 38 years and the mean of the time interval between the initial operation and developing splenic abscess was 72 days, with the male to female ratio being 1:1.6. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was the initial operation in 85.2% of the patients. Nearly half of the patients did not have an objective evidence of local or systemic sepsis that could explain the abscess formation. Nonsurgical management was attempted in 14 patients, with 34% success rate only. Splenectomy was needed in 41.7% of the patients. No mortality was reported. Conclusions Splenic abscess is a rare and rather late but serious complication of bariatric surgery that could result in splenectomy in a relatively young group of patients. It is more commonly reported following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Early diagnosis with intervention in a timely manner is crucial to avoid life threatening complications.
Splenic abscess is a very rare complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Clinical presentation includes fever, leucocystosis, and abdominal pain. CT SCAN is a must for diagnosis. The preferred treatment is either conservative, with intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous drainage, or splenectomy. We report the thirteen case of a splenic abscess after LSG. In our patient, the abscess occurred three weeks after LSG in a 21-year-old man, and it was successfully treated conservatively.
Splenic abscess after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. A rare complication—case report and literature review
