Biliopancreatic Diversion: early complications

The experience and early complications in 66 morbidly obese patients who underwent biliopancreatic diversion are presented. There was one death, due to a pulmonary embolus (PE) at home on the 15th postoperative day. Postoperative complications occurred in nine patients, consisting of gastric hemorrhage (2), gastric outlet obstruction (2), non-lethal PE (1), deep vein thrombosis (1), wound dehiscence (1), and asymptomatic gastric leak (1). In addition, there were 12 superficial wound infections. Four patients required urgent reoperation for gastric hemorrhage (2), gastric outlet obstruction (1), and wound dehiscence (1). The high complication rate is believed to represent the early part of the learning curve. Some reports of the early complications following other bariatric operations are discussed.