Early diagnosis prevents serious complications in pregnant women after gastric bypass surgery
Women who have undergone gastric bypass surgery may develop acute abdominal pain during pregnancy. If these problems are not recognized in time, they can lead to great risks for mother and child.
Recent quality research shows positive results among patients treated for this in the expertise center of Máxima MC (MMC). Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment can prevent serious complications in this patient group. Máxima MC is the national center of expertise for pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery. It is the only hospital in the Netherlands with expertise in both obesity surgery and extreme preterm birth.
In case of complications during pregnancy, women who have undergone gastric reduction surgery can be referred to MMC. A team consisting of a gynecologist-perinatologist, bariatric surgeon and neonatologist works here. Together they determine which treatment is needed. “This could be an operation where there is a risk of premature birth. When making an assessment, we take into account the term of the pregnancy and the need for treatment, ”says gynecologist Judith van Laar. “Joint treatment is then of vital importance: if the problems are underestimated, this can have dangerous consequences for mother and child. If the complaints are overestimated, this can lead to unnecessary operations and examinations ”, surgeon Wouter Leclercq adds.
Prevent serious complications
In a recent study into the quality of care, Máxima MC analyzed the results of 50 women who were treated between September 2015 and November 2019. The results were also compared with the quality figures that are known from international literature. “Compared to the already known figures, we see much more positive results,” says Van Laar. “It is unique, for example, that all mothers and children were able to leave the hospital healthy after the treatment. In doing so, serious complications could be prevented. ”
Early diagnostics
In addition to the joint treatment in MMC, the positive results are also due to the good cooperation within the Netherlands, says Leclercq: “A few years ago, these abdominal pain complaints were relatively unknown; it was thought that the complaints were consistent with the pregnancy and are therefore harmless. This can cause a delay in the recognition of the complaints. We have therefore committed ourselves to early diagnosis of these problems.
We have drawn attention at conferences and in articles. As a result, we notice that healthcare providers now recognize the complaints in good time and seek cooperation with us for treatment. ” Despite these optimistic results, Leclercq still sees opportunities for improvement. “Many women were very ill during their admission to hospital, despite the serious complications that we were able to prevent. In the coming years, we will therefore devote even more time and attention to research and further awareness of these problems. ” The team’s findings are published in the journal Obesity Surgery.
Pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery
Stomach reduction surgery has been proven to be effective for permanent weight loss. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on fertility. For this reason, more and more young women who want to have children are undergoing gastric reduction surgery. Pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery, there is a risk of complications. The altered anatomy in the abdomen in combination with changes in the body due to pregnancy can cause distortions of the bowel, gallstones and growth retardation in the baby. An operative treatment may then be necessary.
Bron: MMC
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