Prevalence of hiatal hernia in the morbidly obese.

Background: Morbidly obese patients commonly have gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and associated hiatal hernias. As such, some surgeons routinely perform a concomitant hiatal hernia repair during bariatric surgery. However, the intraoperative inspection for a hiatal hernia based on laparoscopic visualization can be misleading.

Resolution of systemic hypertension after laparoscopic gastric bypass.

Background: Hypertension is a well-recognized and treatable risk factor for coronary heart disease and is one of the most common comorbidities associated with obesity. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical outcome of a cohort of patients with documented hypertension who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass.

Methods: Ninety-five obese patients with documented hypertension and being treated with antihypertensive medication(s) underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass.