Portal blood Flow following Sleeve Gastrectomy; a before- after study

Abstract Backgrounds: Portal Venous Thrombosis after sleeve gastrectomy can be due to changes in portal vein flow. The present study was designed to compare the portal vein flow before and after sleeve surgery using Doppler ultrasonography to investigate any changes in the type of portal vein flow after the sleeve surgery. Methods: This study is a prospective study in which all people (n=60) referred to our hospital in Tehran from June to August 2020 for Sleeve gastrectomy surgery were evaluated. Participants’ information was collected from patients’ medical records through a researcher-made checklist. Using proper statistical tests, all statistical analyses significant at less than 0.05 were analyzed. Results: Among 60 patients under sleeve gastrectomy, 51 (85%) were females. The mean age was 35.63 ± 9.004. Based on postoperative follow-up (3 days after sleeve gastrectomy), portal vein flow has decreased (proportion: 0.3667, 95% CI: 0.25 – 0.49 cc/min) in 22 patients (36.67%). In these patients, both the mean of portal vein flow (955.90 ± 177.88 cc/min) and the mean of portal vein diameter (10.43 ± 0.80 mm) was significantly decreased (P<0.001). Conclusion: The complications following the sleeve surgery are rare, but considering the various reports of thrombosis after sleeve surgery, it is necessary to pursue high-risk people and keep them under consideration to prevent any complications after surgery.