Emergency Department visits after bariatric surgery

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
• Gastrointestinal Surgery Complications
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Bariatric surgery (BS) has a high safety profile, but increased procedure volume correlates with rising postoperative complications and emergency department (ED) visits.
• Understanding the frequency and risk factors for ED visits post-BS is crucial for improving patient care and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits after bariatric surgery (BS).
• To identify risk factors associated with postoperative ED visits following BS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 408 patients undergoing various BS procedures (SG, OAGB, SADS-p, RS) between June 2016 and December 2019.
• Data collected included prior surgeries, ED visit timing, chief complaints, diagnoses, readmissions, and interventions.
• Comparison of ED admission rates across different BS types.

Main Results:

• Fifty-three of 408 patients visited the ED 62 times post-surgery.
• The One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB) group showed significantly higher ED admission rates (P=0.04).
• Localized abdominal pain (25.8%) was the most frequent complaint, and cholelithiasis (16.1%) was the most common diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Emergency department visits post-bariatric surgery are frequent, particularly within the first year.
• Many ED visits may be preventable through consistent outpatient follow-up.
• Some critical cases necessitate emergency surgery, posing challenges for transfer to specialized bariatric centers.