Medical and gastroenterologic management of the post-bariatric surgery patient

Morbid obesity is a serious disease resulting in considerable morbidity. Bariatric surgery is an important treatment modality of morbid obesity. It appears to be safe and effective in reduction of excess weight in carefully selected patients. However, it carries a risk of many short- and long-term complications, some of them unique to bariatric surgery. Knowledge of possible postoperative complications and their management will allow the achievement of the best results. Despite many types of bariatric procedures developed, only a few are currently performed. Since the number of bariatric procedures performed annually increases, primary care physicians and gastroenterologists will be increasingly challenged by post-bariatric surgery patients. Hence, better understanding of the anatomy and adaptive changes in bariatric patients allows for a more efficient evaluation and management of post-bariatric surgery problems. This article reviews common complications in post-bariatric surgery patients and provides guidelines for their evaluation and management.