What is dumping syndrome, and how common is it?

Dumping syndrome occurs in early and late forms of weight loss surgery. Early dumping syndrome occurs approximately 20 to 30 minutes after a meal, and may cause nausea, cramping, diarrhea, sweating, or dizziness. Late dumping syndrome occurs 2 to 3 hours after eating, and is far less common. Symptoms may include nausea, cramping, or diarrhea. Both syndromes are caused by the rapid passage of carbohydrates to the small intestine resulting in an exaggerated release of hormones. In my practice, less than 1% of patients have experienced dumping syndrome after surgery. Furthermore, each patient resolved their symptoms immediately by decreasing carbohydrate intake, and eating smaller, more frequent meals.