? post-op staples coming loose... Is this common?

Hi. I have been researching WLS and am on the way towards my journey. I have heard of people having the surgery and having post op complications with the staples comming loose, leaking and causing death. Is this common? Does this happen more with lap? or more with open? It seems rather scary and is one more thing to be concerned with. I would appreciate any info on this. thanks! Connie Bouland Conyers, GA

Connie, Ask your surgeon what his leak incidence is. Ask him what precautions and tests he does. I used Dr John Daly @ Northside. He is the only Atlanta area surgeon who uses a circular stapler to reattach the stoma to the new tummette. Then he puts 2 rows of hand sutures. He does both a liquid and a methyl blue test while he is in there. He does the 2 tests under positive pressure. (Like putting a balloon on the faucet to make a water balloon, not just filling it with a eyedropper.) He was instrumental in Northside making this positive pressure test part of their protocall. Ask questions!