Portal venous occlusion

Morbidly obese patients are significantly more susceptible to clotting phenomena, including recurrent deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, inferior vena caval thrombosis, and renal vein thrombosis. The patient described in this report developed the sudden onset of massive ascites two years following jejunoileal bypass for morbid obesity. Occlusion of the portal vein and its tributaries was demonstrated. Our experience and one previous report suggest that portal vein thrombosis may be a rare complication of this surgical procedure.