title: Care of the bariatric surgery patient in the emergency department.
abstract: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with an estimated 50% of adults meeting the definition of being overweight. As this condition has become more prevalent, bariatric surgery has become an increasingly accepted form of treatment of the severely obese. Patients who have had bariatric surgery are presenting more commonly to Emergency Departments as a result. This article will review the most common bariatric surgery procedures, the complications that can arise post-operatively, and the approach to the assessment and management of the bariatric surgery patient in the Emergency Department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery/Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Luber
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venkat
mesh_terms: D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*