Complications in Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is one of the fastest growing hospital procedures performed in the world and also is an important option for patients with extreme obesity and co-morbidities. Bariatric surgery, however, has risks and complications involved. Complications following surgical treatment of severe obesity vary based upon the procedure performed and can be as high as 40 percent. Due to the high surgical volume, improving the safety of these operations has become a high priority, leading to the development of strict criteria for center accreditation, guidelines for safe and effective bariatric surgery, and careful monitoring of surgical outcomes. This topic will review the major complications of bariatric surgery.