Taxonomy and Imaging Spectrum of Small Bowel Obstruction After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

AJR:194, January 2010

Abhijit Sunnapwar, Kumaresan Sandrasegaran, Christine 0. Menias, Mark Lockhart, Kedar N. Chintapalli, Srinivasa R. Prasad

OBJECTIVE. For most patients with morbid obesity, bariatric surgery is the only effec­tive method to achieve sustainable weight loss. Small bowel obstruction (SBO) after bariatric surgery is a major complication that affects postoperative course and management. Knowl­edge of the types of and imaging findings for SBO is essential to prompt diagnosis.

CONCLUSION. We discuss different types of SBO and a taxonomic schemata of bowel obstruction (ABC classification) and present a review of imaging findings that facilitates op­timal patient management.