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The authors discuss and illustrate the various complications of total joint prostheses. Criteria for the evaluation of radiographs of total joint prostheses are presented.

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This study was undertaken to determine the optimal radiologic examination techniques for the period immediately following gastric restrictive surgery to control obesity. Review of 450 examinations performed on 275 patients who underwent varied gastric restrictive procedures indicates that accurate evaluation requires prompt filming of the first swallow of contrast material in a specific initial patient position with only minimal fluoroscopic monitoring. It was found that the optimal patient position can be predicted, before contrast material is administered, by the orientation of the staples on an abdominal radiograph. Right posterior oblique (RPO) is the optimal starting position when vertical staple lines follow gastroplasty with a lesser curvature channel. Left posterior oblique (LPO) is optimal when horizontal staple lines follow gastroplasty. LPO is usually optimal when complex or confusing staple patterns follow gastric bypass operations and revisions of previous procedures to control obesity. However, RPO is the optimal orientation when the revision procedure is a vertical gastroplasty.

With modified techniques and an understanding of the potential complications of surgery, reliable radiologic studies can be performed on patients who have had gastric restrictive surgery.