Abnormal Post Op Bloodwork Results

[Moonbeam510 2]

Hi I am 4 weeks post op and had bloodwork yesterday. My regular results were normal but my metabolic panel was high in some areas (Bun Creatinine) was really high. I know that has to do with liver and kidneys. I am wondering if it is because I drink mostly no sugar gatorade and Bone Broth besides Protein Shakes and maybe A cup of Water a day. My Chart results. Haven’t spoken to Doctor. Has anyone else experienced this ?

[SpartanMaker 1,186]

This may or may not be an issue at all and it sort of depends on just how high it was and whether some other blood markers were also high. Keep in mind also that these reference ranges for low and high are based on averages across large populations of people. Plus, what constitutes high or low may actually vary depending on the testing company. I think this is important to understand because we as patients see these "abnormal" test results and immediately think something is wrong with us, when in reality it may mean absolutely nothing.

As to BUN/Creatinine ratio specifically, note that higher levels of Protein can cause this to be elevated. Since we actually want a lot of protein post-surgery, this may not indicate a problem at all. Another common reason for this is simply chronic dehydration. That's not to say dehydration is your issue, but I think it's probably a good idea to assess how much you're drinking and see if there's a way to possibly drink more? Are you actually meeting the recommended Fluid amounts your surgical team gave you?

[BlondePatriotInCDA 579]

As Spartan stated it could be different lab values. A good portion of my lab values come back "abnormal" but that's as my doctor told me very subjective. IF its just a point or two in either direction its most likely "normal" and could just be "normal" for you or different labs different "normals." Were you told that you're showing symptoms for dehydration?

If your values continue to change, are more than a few points in the "abnormal" range and are trending in those directions over a period of time then perhaps its a reason for concern but until then I wouldn't worry.

Remember, if its concerning to you ASK your doctor at the very least your doctor should go over it with you to alleviate your concerns.

Edited 16 hours ago by BlondePatriotInCDA

[WendyJane 36]

Sometimes there are dehydration problems but if you are meeting the goals, you should be fine. You may have excess Protein, but that won't last long, it is only a short time since your surgery. If you haven't talked to your doctor yet, I would wait before I get all worked up about it, this may very well be normal. My first tests are not until I am 3 months post op, so I can't say that I experienced this, but I have had kidney issues prior to surgery and my BUN and Creatinine are always a little off. Good luck!

[BigSue 1,422]

First, remember that you're not on your own here -- it's your doctor's job to look at your test results and determine whether there's any cause for concern. It's also important to keep in mind that you are now a bariatric surgery patient as well as someone who is recovering from surgery. This means you have abnormal circumstances, so it is very common to have "abnormal" results for some tests. My surgery was almost 5 years ago, so I don't recall specifics, but I do know that I had some "abnormal" results after surgery that were expected because I was recovering from surgery. Another example is that my B12 levels are always sky high, but that's because I take a daily B12 supplement.

I've found that ChatGPT can be helpful in explaining test results. You can upload a screenshot of your results and ask for an interpretation, and even give some background information (e.g., say that you had bariatric surgery 4 weeks ago) for more personalized results. It can also give you some questions to ask your doctor about your results. This should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: obviously, ChatGPT is not a substitute for your actual surgeon, so you should only use it for information purposes, but it can still be really helpful to understand the implications of some tests and prepare you to discuss with your doctor.

[WendyJane 36]

@BigSue, What a great idea to use ChatGPT, I hadn't thought of that!! Excellent way to get some questions to ask your surgeon!