BACKGROUND: The silicone ring is used as containment factor of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to induce greater ponderal loss. However, it may have some inconveniences from this stressed restriction. AIM: To analyze the complications related to silicone ring in patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery with silicon ring. METHODS: From 1994 to 2005, 7 000 patients were submitted to Roux-in-Y gastric bypass with silicone ring in order to treat morbid obesity. Only 50% were followed from two to 11 years. The mean excess weight loss was around 85%. But ring complications were registered in 160 patients (2,28% of the total and 4,56% of the followed patients). Therefore, this series consist of 38 male patients (23.8%) and 122 female patients (76.2%) with average age of 44 years old and BMI of 54.4 kg/m². RESULTS: Five types of ring complications were found. The most frequent was displacement (61%) causing obstructive symptoms. The second most frequent complication was ring erosion to the lumen (22%) causing epigastric pain and nausea. CONCLUSIONS: The ring complications occur in low frequency. Ring removal, either surgical or endoscopically done, is the most usual treatment, but tends to cause partial regain of the weight lost.
Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y; Morbid obesity, Postoperative complications
