Blood Work and Lab Orders

Posted On : June 21, 2020

Written by Ara Keshishian, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Last updated: June 21, 2020

Routine blood work and lab orders are vital to maintaining good health following the Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery. Everyone’s body is different and by examining the blood work and adjusting vitamin, mineral supplements and protein intake a patient will not only be healthier, but will also be able to detect any potential problems that may occur. The surgeon will have his or her own list of recommended blood work and lab orders. Be sure to follow the surgeon’s guidelines and send the results to the surgeon for evaluation. For informational purposes only there are lists of blood work and lab orders from various sources to follow. From the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists: AACE Guidelines  

Recommended Biochemical Surveillance of Nutritional Status After Malabsorptive Bariatric Surgical Procedures

Time Interval First Year – every 3-6 months. Some surgeons get an abbreviated limited blood work at 4-8 weeks time base on a patients specific clinical condition. Thereafter – Every 6-12 months depending on symptoms. Laboratory tests CBC, platelets Electrolytes Glucose Iron studies, ferritin Vitamin B12 Liver function Lipid profile Albumin and Pre-albumin RBC folate Fat-soluble vitamins (6-12 months) – Vitamin A – Vitamin D, 25-OH – Vitamin E – Vitamin K1 and INR Metabolic bone evaluation – Intact PTH – 24-Hour urine calcium – Urine N-telopeptide (annually) Metabolic stone evaluation (annually) – 24-Hour urine calcium, citrate, uric acid and oxalate Zinc – Trace elements (annually or as needed) – Selenium Miscellaneous (as needed) – Carnitine – Essential fatty acid chromatography