Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Are We Doing Enough?

The worldwide obesity epidemic has led to an increase in the number of bariatric procedures for treatment. Currently, the most commonly performed bariatric surgical operation in the United States is the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). The risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is exceptionally high following the LSG: as much as 65%. Anesthesia providers should be mindful of this elevated risk and stay up to date on evidence-based techniques that help to mitigate the incidence of PONV related to this specific procedure. The purposes of this clinical review are to increase provider awareness of the PONV risk following LSG and to examine methods for improving PONV outcomes for this population.