A woman in her 40s presented with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding a few months after undergoing a single-anastomosis gastric bypass. CT abdomen and pelvis showed a marginal ulcer with adjacent inflammatory change and suspected colo-enteric fistulation. Endoscopy identified a bleeding fistulous tract; in the context of presumed Roux-en-Y anatomy, this was interpreted as a likely gastro-colic fistula, although diagnostic certainty was limited. Angiography failed to localise active extravasation. Emergency laparotomy ultimately confirmed single-anastomosis anatomy with a gastro-gastric fistula and erosion into the splenic artery. The patient required staged damage-control surgery including resection of the gastric remnant and splenectomy, followed by delayed reconstruction 1 year later. This case highlights diagnostic challenges in altered postbariatric anatomy and the potential for catastrophic vascular complications arising from fistulating marginal ulcer disease.
Mustafa et al. (Mon,) studied this question.