Obese Patient with Gastric Diverticulum Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Guided by Preoperative Endoscopic Measurement: A Case Report and Literature Review

INTRODUCTION: Gastric diverticulum is a rare condition, often asymptomatic and incidentally detected. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a widely performed bariatric procedure, but a gastric diverticulum complicates surgical planning. In this case, careful preoperative assessment allowed safe execution of LSG despite the diverticulum’s proximity to the esophagogastric junction.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old woman (BMI: 46.8 kg/m2) with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance was referred for bariatric surgery after unsuccessful weight loss with conservative management. Preoperative endoscopy revealed an 18 × 14 mm gastric diverticulum on the posterior wall of the gastric fundus, 40 mm from the esophagogastric junction. LSG was performed using a surgical stapler, ensuring complete diverticulum resection while preserving gastric tube integrity. The surgery was uneventful, with minimal blood loss and a duration of 2 hours and 52 minutes. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged on day 9. Her BMI decreased to 39.3 kg/m2 at the 1-year follow-up, with improved metabolic parameters.
CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the importance of thorough preoperative evaluation when performing LSG in patients with gastric diverticulum. Accurate endoscopic measurement of the diverticulum’s location aids in determining the optimal resection line, ensuring surgical safety and efficacy. Surgeons should remain vigilant when encountering such anatomical variations to optimize outcomes in bariatric surgery.