Efferent loop syndrome is one of two "loop syndromes" that can happen after some types of gastric surgery. In a loop syndrome, a portion or "limb" of the small intestine becomes blocked.
Of the two types of loop syndromes, the other type, afferent loop syndrome, is the more common. Efferent loop syndrome is quite rare. Surgeons have improved gastric surgery, so both types of loop syndromes are now less common.
When efferent loop syndrome happens, it is often within the first few weeks after surgery. But it can also develop even years after weight-loss surgery.
As a result of the blockage, digestive secretions, such as bile and other digestive enzymes, build up in the intestines and begin to cause problems. Rarely, a rupture of the intestinal wall can happen.
You may have the following symptoms:
Extreme, often cramping, stomach pain
Nausea
Distended stomach and pain relieved only by vomiting
Vomiting large quantities of bile, a green digestive fluid