Bariatric surgery is a procedure over 140,000 people has each year to help with weight loss. A major surgery has risks and complications. To help reduce the risk of complications, patients are requested to stop smoking and trying to lose weight prior to surgery. The risks are often results from patients not following the instructions of the surgeon. The risks and complications include but not limited to death, conversion to open procedure, pulmonary embolism, gastrointestinal track leakage, bowel obstruction, bleeding, ulcer, gallstones, stricture, infections, complications from anesthesia, low blood sugar, depression, abdominal pain, chronic symptoms of nausea, vomiting, protein deficiency, mineral and vitamin deficiency, nerve problems, kidney stones, kidney failure, and body image issues.
The risk of death is about 1 out of 300 patients and usually contributed to heart or lung disease as well as pulmonary embolism or gastrointestinal track leakage. The people with high body mass index rates, male patients, and patients with severe medical conditions are the highest risks for death. Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the leg that travels to the lungs with most patients experiencing shorting of breath or chest pains while other patients die suddenly. The risk of this happening is 1 out of 100 patients. To help reduce the risks, a blood thinner is prescribed with compression stockings used while the patient is in the hospital. To further reduce the risks, patients are encouraged to walk soon after surgery.
Gastrointestinal track leakage occurs when the bowel and stomach are stapled or connected forms an incomplete seal allowing the bowel contents to empty into the stomach regions leading to serious infections. This risk occurs in only 1% of all patients. The leaks happen within the first two weeks after surgery with the symptoms that include accelerated heartbeat, abdominal pain, fever, and shortness of breath. Conversion to open procedure happens in less than 1 in 200 patients with patients that have high stomach fat. Bowel obstruction or blockages are caused by scarred tissue in the stomach or a kinked bowel. It happens in less than 4% of patients. As with any major surgery, the surgeon and physician for possible complications monitor the patient. When a person notices or suspects something is wrong, they should immediately contact their medical professional.