Diagnostic value of Computed Tomography for detecting anastomotic or staple line leakage after bariatric surgery

Post-bariatric anastomotic or staple line leakage (ASLL) is a dreaded complication with an incidence up to 1.6% [1] and a leak-associated mortality of 5.0-16.7% [2, 3, 5, 10]. ASLL is defined as the presence of intestinal fluid in the abdominal cavity caused by a defect in the anastomosis or staple line [3]. Leakage after bariatric surgery mainly occurs within the first 24-72 hours after surgery [2, 3, 5]. Frequently observed but non-specific signs and symptoms in case of ASLL are abdominal pain, fever, tachycardia, leukocytosis and increased fluid requirement [2-5, 9, 11].

Source: Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases - May 26, 2018 Category: Surgery Authors: M.C. Kalff, C.A.L. de Raaff, C.E.E. de Vries, U.K. Coblijn, M. Tjeenk Willink, A.M.B. Fauquenot-Nollen, S. Jensch, S.M.M. de Castro, R.N. van Veen Source Type: research