Perioperative symptoms following gastric bypass surgery

Morbid obesity (MO) is a major public health issue with high associated morbidity and healthcare costs. Bariatric surgery provides effective treatment for MO although early recognition of emergent perioperative complications is critical. We developed a new 17-item clinical tool (Bariatric Surgery Symptoms Questionnaire, BSSQ) to identify perioperative symptoms among Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients and surveyed a representative sample of RYGB patients seen 2-3 weeks following surgery using the BSSQ. The results showed that at least one salient symptom was reported by the large majority (78%) of patients and that fatigue and low energy, lightheadedness, constipation, and diarrhea in particular were common and experienced by 25-50% of patients. The BSSQ is a reliable and brief adjunctive clinical tool that may be helpful for busy clinicians screening for postsurgical symptoms following gastric bypass surgery and support the early recognition and treatment of perioperative complications.