SMALL BOWEL OBSTRUCTION SECONDARY TO RETROGRADE INTUSSUSCEPTION OF THE ROUX LIMB: A COMPLICATION FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC ROUX–EN–Y GASTRIC BYPASS

Small bowel obstruction secondary to intussusception following a roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for morbid obesity is a rare clinical condition. It has become more frequently diagnosed with the increasing utilization of RYGB for the management of morbid obesity world-wide. We present a 34 year old female who presented at the Emergency Room of our facility with complaints of abdominal pain and a history of retro-colic and ante-gastric laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at another Hospital a year prior to presentation. On account of unremitting abdominal pain, a lactate level of 5.4mg/dl and abdominal Computed Tomographic scan which showed evidence of small bowel obstruction with intussusception; an emergency exploratory laparotomy was done which revealed intussusception of the biliopancreatic and common limb into the distal aspect of the roux limb. Surgical intervention entailed resection of both the proximal common limb and distal roux and biliopancreatic limbs and surgical reconstruction of the jejunojejunal anastomosis. She is alive and well two years post surgery without any recurrence.