Limited Utility of Routine Upper Gastrointestinal Series Post-bariatric Surgery

Routine upper gastrointestinal series post-bariatric surgery showed limited value in detecting leaks. Out of 135 patients, 23% underwent imaging, with gastric bypass patients having higher rates of complications. The sensitivity and specificity for leak detection in gastric bypass patients were high, but the positive predictive value was low. Sleeve gastrectomy patients and males were less likely to undergo routine imaging. Clinical parameters should guide post-operative imaging decisions, with further research needed on this topic.