Gastric bypass surgery is a popular weight-loss procedure that has been gaining traction in recent years. It is a major surgery that involves creating a new connection between the stomach and intestines, and it carries with it some risks. The most serious complication of gastric bypass surgery is the loss of digestive juices and partially digested food through an anastomosis. This is a connection that does not heal completely and is filtered.
Bariatric surgery is usually done when diet and exercise have not been successful or when the patient has serious health problems due to their weight. Some procedures limit how much food can be eaten, while others reduce the body's ability to absorb fat and calories. As with any major surgery, gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries come with potential health risks, both in the short and long term. Intensive care surgeons should be familiar with common problems and their management, as well as the specific diagnoses of different bariatric operations. These operations can cause permanent alterations to the patient's anatomy, which can lead to complications at any time in their life. Early complications of gastric bypass surgery include leaks, stenosis, bleeding, and venous thromboembolic events (VTE).
These principles also apply to bariatric operations that are performed less frequently, such as the minigastric bypass, the ileal duodenal bypass with a single anastomosis, and the duodenal switch (DS). In hemodynamically normal patients, evaluation of other causes of postoperative tachycardia should be performed before re-examination. The evaluation of a leak should include a CT scan of the abdomen with oral contrast medium. A CT scan can evaluate other diseases in the differential diagnosis of tachycardia, such as bleeding and pneumonia. The scintigraphy may be performed in conjunction with a CT lung angiogram to detect pulmonary ejaculation. Persistent tachycardia, despite negative radiological studies, warrants surgical examination if no other cause can be identified due to the low sensitivity of diagnostic tests.
In hemodynamically normal patients, the control of a leak can also be done through image-guided drainage. Postoperative bleeding requiring intervention occurs in up to 11% of cases. Fortunately, 85% of patients are likely to stop doing so without surgery. Patients with dysmetabolic syndrome X are at greater risk of bleeding. Routine supportive treatment should be instituted promptly and includes the establishment of adequate venous access, crystalloid resuscitation, and blood transfusions if necessary. Nutrition can be tackled with distal enteral feeding of the GJA and is preferable to total parenteral nutrition.
A feeding tube may be placed in the Roux limb, the biliopancreatic limb, or the common canal. Bariatric procedures are generally safe and effective but can be associated with devastating complications, some of which can be fatal if not addressed quickly. Intensive care surgeons who diagnose surgical emergencies in patients after bariatric surgery should be familiar with the type of surgery performed as well as with the most common post-bariatric surgical emergencies.
