The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in response to numerous inquiries made to the Society by patients, physicians, society members, hospitals, health insurance payors, the media, and others, regarding the complication of gastrointestinal leak after gastrointestinal bariatric procedures. In this statement, available data regarding leak are summarized and suggestions made regarding reasonable approaches to the prevention and postoperative detection based on current knowledge, expert opinion, and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence available at this time. The intent of issuing such a statement is to provide objective information about the complication of leak. The statement is not intended as, and should not be construed as, stating or establishing a local, regional, or national standard of care. The statement will be revised in the future as additional evidence becomes available.