How to manage risk of gastric bypass surgery
As the obesity crisis grows, many Americans who just cannot lose weight through usual diet and exercise programs have resorted to some form of weight loss surgery (bariatric or gastric bypass). Even Medicare now covers this procedure since it is not a cosmetic procedure – most of these morbidly obese will either die prematurely or continue to suffer serious illnessed due to their weight.
The plastic surgeons have done an admirable job in highlighting the risks of this surgery and limiting it to only those who need it, have the capacity to undergo it, and can benefit from it. Despite such precautions, it is still an extremely risky procedure, according to research published in Medical Care Journal. As many as two out of each five patients develop complications after this procedure. “We found that the complication rate in the hospital was 22 percent, but it went up to 40 percent over the next six months,” said William Encinosa, a senior economist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
While these findings do bring home the point that this procedure is not for everyone, a major flaw in the research is that the data was collected in 2001 and 2002. Considering how recent this procedure is, a lot of the data is outdated. During last three and a half years, not only has there been a remarkable improvement in technology, the surgeons now have additional knowledge about the procedure. In other words, if the data were more recent, the number of cases with complications will drop significantly. That research will obviously take time.
In the meantime, think hard about this procedure and pay attention to your physician – there is no reason to influence her/his judgment. This is especially important when you are going for surgery overseas where the doctor may merely be offering a procedure and may not even be aware of your health history.
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