PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN CANDIDATES FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY: A Cause for Concern.

Pulmonary hypertension has recently been indentified as a risk factor for adverse events and mortality after gastric bypass surgery. This condition can be present in association with obstructive sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation, obese cardiomyopathy, and chronic thromboembolism. Since this is a modifiable risk factor and may be overlooked in the evaluation of bariatric candidates, bariatric surgeons and team members should become more familiar with guidelines for current diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and treatment. Improved diagnosis and severity assessment will enhance the patient selection and optimization process in bariatric surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]