Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery
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Surg Obes Relat Dis · Sep 2005
ReviewManagement of gastrogastric fistulas after divided Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity: analysis of 1,292 consecutive patients and review of literature.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is the most commonly performed bariatric operation in the United States. Although rare, gastrogastric fistulas are an important complication of this procedure. ⋯ Gastrogastric fistulas are an uncommon, but worrisome, complication after divided RYGB. Most symptoms of gastrogastric fistula are related to epigastric pain and ulcerations around the anastomotic site, but the fistula can occur anywhere along the divided segment of the gastric wall. They can initially be managed with a conservative, nonoperative approach as long as the patient remains asymptomatic and weight regain does not occur. Refractory ulcers and pain are the main indications for revisional surgery. Weight loss failure or weight regain is an uncommon short-term finding with gastrogastric fistulas after divided RYGB that requires surgical revision as the definitive treatment option. Although we present one of the largest series to date, longer follow-up is needed to better define the management of this patient population and provide a more accurate incidence of its occurrence.
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Surg Obes Relat Dis · Sep 2005
Challenges that nurses face in caring for morbidly obese patients in the acute care setting.
Despite increasing numbers of morbidly obese patients admitted to acute care facilities for surgery or treatment of nonsurgical conditions, there is little evidence of the problems nurses face in providing care to these patients. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the care of these patients is more demanding than the care of nonobese patients. The objective of this study was to describe nurses' perceptions of the challenges that they face when caring for morbidly obese patients. ⋯ Morbidly obese patients in the acute care setting require specialized nursing care in terms of techniques, levels of staffing required, and the use of specialized equipment.