The Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is quickly growing as a viable weight loss option for people who suffer from obesity. There are many benefits to weight loss surgery and the surgery has given may people back their health and their life. As with everything else in life, there is also a downside. Gastric bypass surgery is considered major surgery and is not without its risks.
According to the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA), about 45,000 people have undergone weight loss surgery since 2001 and this figure is increasing to the tune of about 150,000 people per year. Weight loss surgery is becoming more affordable as more insurance companies and Medicare are opting to pay for the life lengthening surgery. It is important to understand certain facts about weight loss surgery before going forward with the procedure.
Most surgeons require that you be 100 pounds overweight and have a body mass index of at least 40. They will perform the surgery for lower requirements if the patient has certain other obesity related medical conditions that are detrimental to your health. You must realize bariatric surgery is usually performed after many other weight loss options have failed. In other words, gastric bypass surgery is a “last resort” option.
Weight loss surgery is only a tool. It will get you started and the rest is up to you. It is reported that about 1 in 1,000 patients die within a month of surgery and 3 in 1,000 die within 3 months of weight loss surgery. Nutritional deficiency is a big concern because of the food bypassing the duodenum. The food can not efficiently be absorbed by the body.
Some of the other risks associated with gastric bypass surgery are infection, blood clots, bleeding, complications due to anesthesia and medications, heart problems, spleen injury, spleen removal, leaking from the staples, ulcers and narrowing of blood vessels. Most gastric bypass surgeries are performed lapriscopically, but in some cases it is necessary to perform an open surgery.
Some patients will experience an iron deficiency due to the body not absorbing iron and calcium as efficiently as it did prior to the surgery. Chronic anemia can also be a possibility, but this can usually be managed by pills. Osteoporosis can also occur due to the lack of calcium. There is a chance you may experience some of the following minor side effects: dumping syndrome, gall stones, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, excessive sweating, dizziness and increased gas.
Gastric bypass surgery is not without its risks, but neither is obesity. So it basically a matter of whether you consider the benefits to outweigh the risks. The chances that you will die of an obesity related condition are greater than the chances you will die as a result of the surgery, but in the end this is only a decision that can be made by you if this is your life.
According to the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA), about 45,000 people have undergone weight loss surgery since 2001 and this figure is increasing to the tune of about 150,000 people per year. Weight loss surgery is becoming more affordable as more insurance companies and Medicare are opting to pay for the life lengthening surgery. It is important to understand certain facts about weight loss surgery before going forward with the procedure.
Most surgeons require that you be 100 pounds overweight and have a body mass index of at least 40. They will perform the surgery for lower requirements if the patient has certain other obesity related medical conditions that are detrimental to your health. You must realize bariatric surgery is usually performed after many other weight loss options have failed. In other words, gastric bypass surgery is a “last resort” option.
Weight loss surgery is only a tool. It will get you started and the rest is up to you. It is reported that about 1 in 1,000 patients die within a month of surgery and 3 in 1,000 die within 3 months of weight loss surgery. Nutritional deficiency is a big concern because of the food bypassing the duodenum. The food can not efficiently be absorbed by the body.
Some of the other risks associated with gastric bypass surgery are infection, blood clots, bleeding, complications due to anesthesia and medications, heart problems, spleen injury, spleen removal, leaking from the staples, ulcers and narrowing of blood vessels. Most gastric bypass surgeries are performed lapriscopically, but in some cases it is necessary to perform an open surgery.
Some patients will experience an iron deficiency due to the body not absorbing iron and calcium as efficiently as it did prior to the surgery. Chronic anemia can also be a possibility, but this can usually be managed by pills. Osteoporosis can also occur due to the lack of calcium. There is a chance you may experience some of the following minor side effects: dumping syndrome, gall stones, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, excessive sweating, dizziness and increased gas.
Gastric bypass surgery is not without its risks, but neither is obesity. So it basically a matter of whether you consider the benefits to outweigh the risks. The chances that you will die of an obesity related condition are greater than the chances you will die as a result of the surgery, but in the end this is only a decision that can be made by you if this is your life.
gastric bypass surgery, gastric bypass surgery risks, lap band surgery, weight loss surgery
posted by Marj at 3:19 PM
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