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Gastric Bypass Guide
Do You Know The Risks Of Gastric Bypass Surgery?
In 1996 approximately 20,000 weight-loss operations were undertaken in the US. Now, some 10 years later, that figure is expected to reach a staggering 200,000 in 2006.
Today about one third of the population of the United States is overweight, with about one third of these people being classed as clinically obese. In addition, an incredible 9,000,000 adults are more than 100 pounds overweight and are classified as being morbidly obese.
For these people the normal remedy of diet accompanied by exercise simply doesn't work and so they are turning in growing numbers to gastric bypass surgery.
The commonest form of gastric bypass surgery today is the Roux-en-Y which creates a stomach pouch, using a section of the stomach itself, which is connected to the small intestine, bypassing a major part of the stomach and duodenum.
The growing popularity of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, assisted by such things as its use by several celebrities, coverage by Medicare and some clever marketing, has led to an increase in the number of medical facilities providing the procedure. Several of these establishments are however better than others and just a few are possibly a little too concerned with the money to be made from gastric bypass surgery. This, in turn, represents an escalating danger for those thinking about surgery.
The results of gastric bypass surgery can be impressive, not only in terms of weight lost but also in terms of the marked improvement that can be made to the patients’ quality of life. Nevertheless, gastric bypass surgery is a major surgical procedure and is certainly not suitable for everybody and is not without risks.
But what are the risks?
Well, the risks of surgery will clearly vary from one person to the next and anyone thinking about surgery should consult a doctor to find out the risks that surgery carries in their particular case. However, in general terms, here are just a few of the risks more commonly associated with gastric bypass surgery:
Death. As is the case with any major surgical procedure there is a risk of death associated with gastric bypass surgery and estimates show the short-term risk to be between 1% and 2%. The risk varies according to your age, as well as with other medical conditions from which you are suffering and your general state of health.
Pneumonia. If you are excessively overweight this puts extra stress on the chest cavity and lungs and produces an additional risk of contracting pneumonia after surgery.
Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine. Although not often seen, this complication may require either an outpatient procedure in which a tube is passed through your mouth to widen the narrowed opening or surgery to correct the problem.
A leak along one of the staple lines in the stomach. A leak along the staple line in the stomach can lead to infection which is generally cured with antibiotics. Most cases heal in time but, occasionally, this leakage can be serious enough to need emergency surgery.
Blood clots in the legs. The risk of blood clots occurring in the legs is most prevalent in the case of very overweight patients and, when blood clots do form, the situation can be serious. Sometimes blood clots will migrate to the lungs and lodge themselves in the arteries of the lungs producing a pulmonary embolism - a serious and life-threatening condition that damages the tissue of the lung.
Dumping syndrome. Gastric bypass surgery can also lead to dumping syndrome, a condition in which the contents of the stomach move too rapidly through the small intestine causing dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Some other commonly seen complications of gastric bypass surgery include vitamin and mineral deficiency, hernia, bleeding stomach ulcers, gallstones, dehydration and intolerance to some foods.
Advances in surgery are making gastric bypass surgery safer each day and the introduction of laparoscopic surgery and the use of robotics, now being evaluated at Stanford University Medical Center in California, are also reducing the number of post-operative complications and helping with patient recovery.
Despite the risks, for each problem case there are a thousand cases of slimmer and happier people walking around. So, if you are contemplating gastric bypass surgery, talk to your doctor and, while you should clearly consider the risks, don't dismiss gastric bypass surgery simply because of them.
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