Gastric Bypass Risk Factors

Gastric Bypass – What are the Risk Factors?

Gastric bypass surgery has many benefits to the obese person who wants to live a healthier life. Some of these benefits include weight loss and possible elimination of heart trouble, diabetes, and arthritis or back problems. In addition, there is a very good change that the person will be able to engage in activities, such as team sports, like never before.

Not only that, but chances are that the patient may only experience minor problems after surgery such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. They may also lose their ability to drink alcohol. These may be results a person could easily live with considering the better quality of life they could have.

However, they deserve fair warning that there are more serious risks involved in this operation. The risks of the gastric bypass operation are further complicated in an obese person than an abdominal surgery in a patient who is not overweight. These are complications due to preexisting conditions that the patient has not told the doctor about, or they can be complications that could develop unexpectedly. This is often the case, because of the fact that the person has been overweight to begin with, so complications could happen at any time.

Some of the risks of a gastric bypass surgery include upper respiratory problems and possible pneumonia, and other risks consist of infection, bleeding, and inflammation of the intestines. In addition to that, there can be abdominal blockage or leakage around surgical connection site, or around stomach outlets. Either that, or a patient could contract a stomach ulcer, or the staple line in the stomach could break down.

Some of the earlier described stomach sewing complications can be prevented if the patient receiving the surgery knows that the surgeon is experienced enough to be performing the surgery. However, sometimes even under the most ideal conditions, existing stomach problems, including the loosening of the seams of the staple line of the stomach ca become a problem.

Nutritional deficiencies after gastric bypass surgery include anemia, osteoporosis, or metabolic bone disease. These deficiencies, however, can most likely be corrected if one follows the diet that the doctor has ordered for a gastric bypass patient.

Another disease that could be contracted is gall bladder disease, or the patient could experience blood clotting which can result in a heart attack or stroke. However, this risk is very low, especially after the weight is lost. Remember, the more weight the patient loses, the less likely that patient’s body is to develop complications such as this.

Aside from other risks, there is a slight chance of death in gastric bypass patients. The risk of death depends upon each individual's health problems and other existing risk factors. The chance of death from this operation is from ½ percent to 2 percent. Death in a patient of this procedure is highly unlikely, but a possibility. In order to prevent death from surgery, it is best for the surgeon and patient to be as thorough as possible when discussing the overall medical condition of that person prior to surgery.

In conclusion, one should note that there are risks involved in gastric bypass surgery, but those risks are different for each person. If the doctor says a person is less at risk, then mostly that person will benefit from the gastric bypass with little to no complications.

Also, a person should be aware that there are three different types of operations involved in gastric bypass surgery. Knowing this will help reassure that there are options available, which would increase the overall success of the operation’s success.

One of the gastric bypass operations involves the Roux-en-Y Procedure in which the surgeon staples across the top portion of the stomach, creating a small stomach pouch. This new stomach pouch is then connected to the small intestine. This will help reduce the amount of food eaten, and reduce the absorption of calories eaten. If the person has gallstones, the surgeon can remove the gall bladder to prevent further formation of these stones.

The second type of Gastric Bypass surgery is the Laparoscopic surgery. In this type of surgery, the surgeon makes tiny incisions through the abdomen in which the patient is operated on with the use of a laparascope, which is a fiber optic tube which has a small camera on it. This small camera allows the insides of the person under the abdomen to be seen clearly during the procedure. Then, as in the first procedure, the doctor sews the stomach shut to create a pouch.

The third type of procedure used during gastric bypass surgery involves the use of a silicone band to create a small pouch using the top portion of the stomach. This helps reduce appetite while not interrupting the normal digestion process.

A person can have one of these three operations done, usually with little to no risk if properly prepared for surgery, and properly treated during and after surgery. However, a patient needs to always be aware of any and all risks associated with the gastric bypass surgery.

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