Hernias... If found during surgery (WLS) does it cause MAJOR complications?

On vacation I met a wonderful couple from England, the woman's sister just had WLS. Sadly, her sister was in emergency care and needed 12 blood transfusions immediately afterwards, and needed several weeks to be moved out of emergency care. I felt horrible for her, and asked if there was a specific complication they may have found that caused the bleeding, the sister only replied that they found and tried to fix a hernia during the surgery.

While the lady didn't seem to know much about the surgery her sister had, it sounded like an open RNY. I've heard of doctors stumbling across hernias during surgery before, but I had thought they were relatively easy to fix. I thought it sounded a little fishy. Then again, I'm not very well versed on data like this. So now I'm curious!

Are hernias nortorious for causing complications this serious? Or do you think the poor woman may not have been cared for properly? I didn't want to say anything, but I have a small suspicion that the woman's surgeon may not have been very good.

I don't know about nortoious but I had a very large hernia fixed when I had my DS surgery. It was right below my boobs and across my rib cage. They tried to do a lap DS but the hernia got in the way. So they went open and fixed the hernia as well. I had no complications due to this additional surgery except recovering from an open procedure instead of a lap procedure.

Hmmm. That sounds bizarre to me. I had an umbilical hernia that Dr. Peters repaired during my DS. He warned me it would probably recur because of the placement of the incision, and he was right. So I got the whole mess fixed with NO MESH YAY with my TT.

I didn't want to loose my **** when I was chatting with this woman and say "Dear lord I think your sister was butchered!" , then again I wasn't 100% sure about how much hernias complicate things, I don't like to talk about subjects I'm not well schooled in.

But from the sound of it, either something went terribly wrong with the surgery and the sister misunderstood what it was, or the doc was using the hernia as a cover excuse for what really happened. Poor girl. At least she seemed to be pulling through the worst of it.

 My surgeon did 10 procedures on me ... as part of my wls, and treatment for my problems I had at that time... included in it was two hernia repairs and ovarian cysts and  fibroid removal....No surgical complications in immediate post-op . .
           ..I'd think any competent surgeon should be able to take care of  them under normal cir****tances..  ..patient could have had other complcations that was causing him to hurry and get patient out from under anesthesia...like spike or drop in b/p.   
             Sounds like.... A good reason for researching your physician very carefully...and from more than the data they provide.

That poor woman!!!

I had a HUGE hernia repaired when I had my open DS with Dr Keshishian. Not a single complication. The site was sore for quite some time, but that is normal I think for any surgery.

I think the key is researching your surgery choice and surgeon. I knew I was in the best hands possible, so I didn't even flinch knowing that he was going to repair it during surgery.

Favorite quote? Think Twice, Cut Once!!! Choose a competent surgeon!!!

Dr. Gagner wouldn't touch my hernia, I forget the exact reasoning but something like it was too close to where the rest of my surgery would be. I think I have two now to be fixed eventually. I feel like a character from Alien