Does somatostatin-14 have an impact on gastric fistula after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy?

The main complications following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is gastric fistula (GF). Gastric fistula is a rare but serious complication (affecting 2 % of LSGs). Somatostatin-14 and its analogs are mainly used in the prevention and curative treatment of digestive fistulas. These compounds inhibit secretions in the pancreas, stomach, and small intestine. Treatment with somatostatin-14 increases the spontaneous closure rate and reduces the closure time of postoperative digestive fistulas. However, the impact of somatostatin-14 on GF after LSG has not been studied. We report on a prospective, non-randomized, single-center, case-matched study of patients receiving somatostatin-14 after a post-LSG GF was discovered. Our results suggest that use of somatostatin-14 is associated with a shorter length of hospital stay and (perhaps) a shorter treatment period.