Closing the Loop: Pregnancy-Associated Internal Hernia After Gastric Bypass

The obesity epidemic has brought about a notable upsurge in bariatric surgery. While many adverse pregnancy outcomes are less likely as a result, some risks are increased. In particular, risk for internal intestinal herniation is specific to the Roux-en-Y procedure. In a systematic review, Belgian investigators turned to the literature as well as their own clinical experience to describe this complication.

With 22 eligible reports and 5 cases of internal herniation during pregnancy at the authors' institution, 52 patients' courses were available for review. Mean gestational age at hernia diagnosis was 28 weeks and women were, on average, 2 years past their bypass surgeries. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting; …