Abstract
Gastric bypass surgery has become a routine operation in the United States for effective long-term treatment of morbid obesity. There is evidence that comorbidities such as sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, etc may greatly improve or even disappear with weight loss (Barba et al. Surg Endosc. 2003;17:416-420). Although life-threatening side effects or even death from this type of surgery are rare, other complications occur frequently (Fobi et al. World J Surg. 1998;22:925-935). The successful weight loss of highly publicized celebrities and positive commentaries have made the surgery a popular option for obese patients. This popularity has masked the damaging side effects and outcomes of the surgery. This case study describes a patient who experienced severe complications after undergoing gastric bypass surgery.