The role of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative diagnostic endoscopy in bariatric surgery

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of morbid obesity worldwide has led to an overall increased interest in surgical weight loss procedures and a patient population which provides a unique set of challenges. The use of endoscopy in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of these patients is an invaluable tool and can help guide operative decision-making as well as manage intraoperative and postoperative complications. Preoperative endoscopic evaluation can be used to aid in procedure selection as well as in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal pathologies which could otherwise negatively affect surgical outcomes. Intraoperatively, endoscopy can be used to guide and assess surgical progress, as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of intraoperative complications such as bleeding. Lastly, postoperative endoscopy is an important resource for evaluation and management of surgical complications and can provide patients with less invasive therapeutic options. Overall, endoscopy is a critical tool in the setting of bariatric surgery.