Gastric Surgery Patients Susceptible to Complications

The procedure involves stapling the upper stomach to create a small pouch that is then attached to the small intestine, reducing the capacity of the stomach. Subsequent radiologic imaging identified 57 complications, many of them multiple problems in the same patients, including suture tears and leaks, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and infection. There were also two deaths within 30 days of the 335 surgeries.

"This should not be considered a cosmetic procedure,” said lead author Elmar Merkle, M.D., of University Hospitals of Cleveland (OH, USA; www.uhhs.com). "People need to be aware of the potential complications of this surgery. It basically should be the last option we can offer the morbidly obese, after other less-invasive interventions such as diet and exercise have been tried.” Dr. Merkle presented the findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago (IL, USA).





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