Bariatric surgery includes procedures in which the gastrointestinal tract is altered to reduce the amount people can eat and/or the amount of nutrients that can be absorbed. Such surgeries include lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery. Although these surgeries can result in massive amounts of weight lost, they do carry some risk; however, a new study finds that these risks are lower than once thought.

These types of surgery are reserved for the morbidly obese, who are at risk for complications from their weight, such as diabetes and heart disease.  A BMI (body mass index) of 40 is the usual acceptable level of obesity to be approved for the surgery, although a lower BMI may be acceptable if the patient in question already has a health problem due to their weight, such as diabetes. In these cases, the surgery can be truly a life-saver, as these patients are usually destined to die young from complications of their weight.

The study included  4,776 patients who underwent some type of bariatric procedure, and found that 4.3% of the patients in the study suffered some type of complication. In total, 15 patients died, or 0.3% of the study participants. These rates are comparable to other surgical complication and death rates.  Despite the low complication rates uncovered by the study, the researchers did find that some patients undergoing bariatric surgery were more at risk than others.  Patients more at risk were identified as those patients who:

    suffered from sleep apnea

    could not walk further than 200 feet before surgery

    had a history of blood clots

    were severely obese

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery are advised to lose some weight before surgery; losing weight can decrease the risk of complication from the surgery.

Obesity is on the rise in the US, fueling demand for the surgery. The results of the study were reassuring, given that more and more people are seeking bariatric surgery in an effort to lose dangerous weight that can shorten the life of the morbidly obese.

Related Links:
Exercising for Weight Loss from Health Guru
Gastric Bypass Surgery: What Can You Expect? from the Mayo Clinic
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery