ABSTRACT
Since Wittgrove et al. published the first report of five cases of laparoscopic gastric bypass for morbid obesity (1) in 1994, there have been additional reports supporting the feasibility of the operation. There have been multiple variations in the technical methodologies published, especially of gastrojejunostomy. Additional controversies have surfaced regarding the routing of the Roux limb (retrocolic vs. antecolic), necessity for drains, and the need for a routine postoperative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast study. The experience with laparoscopic gastric bypass has continued to evolve at a number of centers around the world, but primarily in the United States. Both case series and prospective randomized clinical trials have been published. In those papers where the data have been published in multiple forms, the data will be reviewed as a cumulative series.
