Pulmonary Embolism

This problem affects the lungs and the heart, but it usually starts in the legs, with the formation of blood clots. Although these can occur at any time, and are more likely in overweight patients, they are especially likely at the time of and soon after surgery, because people who have an operation don't like to move around, or exercise their legs. The blood becomes stagnant and clots in the leg veins, and if a clot breaks off and floats through the veins to the lungs, it is called a pulmonary embolism. The blood clot blocks the arteries in the lungs, and can cause a part of the lung to lose its circulation and die - a pulmonary infarction. If the circulation to a large part of the lung is affected, the heart is placed under a lot of strain, and it may fail suddenly, which can be fatal. The likelihood of pulmonary embolism is decreased by thinning the blood with heparin, which makes it less likely to clot. Pneumatic compression devices are used to compress the legs and keep the blood flowing faster in the veins. Patients are asked to get up to walk as soon as possible. The nurses caring for you have been specially trained to take care of bariatric surgery patients and will have you walking soon after the surgery.