Shahzeer Karmali, Kourosh Sarkhosh and Daniel W. Birch
Obesity is a chronic disease affecting patients from different age groups. It is currently recognized as a global epidemic [1], and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to increase and currently exceeds 30% in most sex and age groups [2], Bariatric surgery is an effective and durable method for weight loss. With the growing incidence of obesity, the number of bariatric surgical procedures performed will continue to rise. Inevitably, this will translate to an increase in the incidence of complications and associated symptoms related to these procedures. The most common indication for endoscopy in bariatric surgical patients is for evaluation of symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, reflux, dysphagia, or weight regain) or treatment of complications (stomal stenosis, marginal ulcer, or band erosion) [3], With the continued increase in the number of specialists skilled in endoscopy, it would be ideal to diagnose and possibly manage these in non-tertiary care centers. This would potentially decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with these complications.