Gastric Bypass Complications
If you suffer from gastric bypass complications, there’s another health risk you’ll need to know about.
In a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, about 27% of gastric bypass patients who weighed over 450 pounds were unable to have diagnostic imaging because of their size.
This diagnostic imaging was needed to identify possible complications from the surgery.
Gastric bypass is a surgical procedure to reduce the stomach and bypass part of the small intestine in order to help the patient lose weight.
Some gastric bypass complications are infection, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, and suture leaks and tears.
The maximum weight limit for a computed tomography (CT) scan is 450 pounds. That’s all the CT table can hold.
For patients over 450 pounds, alternative means of diagnosis have to be used, including exploratory surgery in some cases.
Some patients were evaluated with ultrasound or a barium swallow test. At least one other patient received no further evaluation.
So if you’re thinking about having surgery to lose weight, remember to discuss the possible gastric bypass complications with your doctor, including how you’ll be diagnosed if you can’t get the appropriate diagnostic imaging tests.
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