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Gastrointestinal complications of bariatric Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

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Abstract

Obesity is rapidly becoming the most important public health issue in USA and Europe. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is now established as the gold standard for treating intractable morbid or super obesity. We reviewed the imaging findings following this surgery in 234 patients. In this pictorial essay we present the CT and upper gastrointestinal contrast study appearances of the expected postoperative anatomy as well as a range of abdominal complications. The complications are classified into leaks, fistula and obstruction. Postoperative gastric outlet and small bowel obstruction can be caused by anastomotic stenosis, mesocolic tunnel stenosis, adhesions, stomal ulcer, obturation, intussusception and internal or external hernia. Small bowel obstruction may be of a simple, closed loop and/or strangulating type. The radiologist should be able to diagnose the type and possible cause of obstruction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Indiana University Medical Center, UH 0279, 550 N University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Kumaresan Sandrasegaran, Arumugam Rajesh, Chandana Lall & Dean D. Maglinte

  2. Department of Surgery, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, USA

    Gerardo A. Gomez

  3. Department of Radiology, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, USA

    John C. Lappas

Authors
  1. Kumaresan Sandrasegaran
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  2. Arumugam Rajesh
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  3. Chandana Lall
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  4. Gerardo A. Gomez
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  5. John C. Lappas
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  6. Dean D. Maglinte
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Correspondence to Kumaresan Sandrasegaran.

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Sandrasegaran, K., Rajesh, A., Lall, C. et al. Gastrointestinal complications of bariatric Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Eur Radiol 15, 254–262 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2520-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2520-0

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