Operative Techniques or Patient Characteristics: Which Is a Greater Predictor of Outcomes from Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy?

​Considerable variability exists within operative techniques for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG); however, these differences are not as predictive of outcomes as patient characteristics, according to a study published in the March 2018 issue of Surgery. The authors analyzed 88,845 LSGs from a database and found more than 460 variations of techniques used to perform the surgery, including different combinations of bougie size (a bougie is a measuring tool and guide), distance from the pylorus, use of staple line reinforcement, and oversewing of the staple line.