Variation in utilization of acid-reducing medication at 1 year following bariatric surgery: results from the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative

Abstract Background Morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery have high rates of gastroesophageal reflux and are often treated with acid-reducing medications (ARM) such as proton pump inhibitors or H2-blockers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bariatric procedures on the utilization of ARM. We analyzed data from the clinical registry of the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative on 35,477 patients undergoing bariatric surgery between January 2006 and October 2012 who completed both baseline and 1-year follow-up surveys. Procedures included laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB, n = 2,627), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB, n = 6,410), sleeve gastrectomy (SG, n = 1,567), and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS, n = 162). Methods Rates of ARM at 1 year by procedure type were compared using logistic regression analysis. Models were adjusted for patient characteristics, baseline co-morbidities, weight loss, and hiatal hernia repair. Results Overall ARM use at baseline was 37.7% and declined to 29.6% at 1 year after bariatric surgery. The proportion of patients starting an ARM at 1 year when they were not using one at baseline by procedure was LAGB (13.9%), RYGB (19.2%), SG (21.6%), and BPD/DS (26.7%). The proportion of patients discontinuing an ARM at 1 year when they were using one at baseline by procedure was LAGB (55.6%), RYGB (56.2%), SG (37.3%), and BPD/DS (42.1%). Compared with LAGB on multivariable analysis, the likelihood of ARM use at 1 year was higher for SG (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.45–1.99) and BDP/DS (OR 1.53, CI .97–2.40) but not different for RYGB (OR 1.02, CI .90–1.16). Conclusion Overall ARM use decreases after bariatric surgery; however, it is not uniform and depends on procedure type. SG is a significant predictor for ARM use at 1 year.