The Risks Associated With Gastric Bypass Surgery

As with all medical procedures, especially with surgery, It is of paramount importance that a thorough knowledge of the risks associated with gastric bypass be included in your education of this surgical procedure. Just like in any kind of operation, sometimes things can get out of hand. You can be sure though that a good surgeon will do his best to keep these risks to a minimum as much as possible. These risks will still be there even if you are qualified for this surgery, though they should be lessened in your case.

The following complications (although not an exhausted list) can occur to those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery.

Death

The risk of fatality is around 0.5% in several cases. In most occasions though, this risk is relative to the patients' pre existing health conditions rather than the gastric bypass per se. Individuals with underlying cardiac diseases tend to have a higher fatality risk since their hearts have already been stressed for quite some time. During screening, most doctors will perform a complete cardiac work up to assess the ability of the heart to handle this kind of surgery. Furthermore, other health conditions that might heighten the risk of death include diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and problems associated with pulmonary embolism.

Infectious Disease

Infection risk is always present with all types of surgical operation. There are many ways a postoperative patient can be infected. The incision sites are the ones usually affected as they are very prone to infection. The risk can be magnified if bacteria from the bowel gain entrance to the operative site. This may even lead to infection of other organs such as the kidneys, bladder, or the lungs causing pneumonia. As a way of preventing these problems, antibiotics will most likely be prescribed for you by your doctor after the surgery.

Bleeding

Hemorrhage or bleeding is another serious complication of gastric bypass surgery. As there are many blood vessels which get cut during the operation, the risk of excessive bleeding is always present. The doctor will order for a blood transfusion when this occurs.

Obstruction of the Large Intestine

This results when a certain degree of scarring occurs in the bowel, as in a few occasional cases. This may also be one of the causes why you end up having a hernia. In certain cases, another surgery may be required to treat this condition.

As with any type of surgery, gastric bypass operation comes with various complications and risks. However, these are usually due to your underlying health conditions. Anyway, you will be guided by your doctor who will conscientiously work with you to lower these risks should you qualify for gastric bypass. And these complications, particularly death, are usually decreased in most cases.