Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery

• Vitamin and mineral deficiency (usually can be prevented by taking supplements).
• The bypass portion of the stomach, duodenum and segments of the small intestine cannot be easily visualized using x-ray or endoscopy if problems such as ulcers, bleeding or malignancy should occur.
• Risks of surgery include infection, bleeding, blood clots, leaks, strictures, and bowel obstructions. In general, the benefits of gastric bypass outweigh the risks for people with BMI > 40, and for people with BMI 35-40 In the presence of medical problems associated with obesity.

IMPORTANT: Gastric Bypass Surgery for obesity is a medium-risk abdominal operation similar in danger to a hysterectomy, cholecystectomy or bowel resection. The mortality risk for appendectomy or hernia repair is on the order of one death in 700 operations. With certain other operations such as those done for abdominal aortic aneurysms or certain cancers, the risk of death following surgery may be as high as one in 10. The mortality risk from surgery for obesity is one in 200. There is also about one chance in 15 of developing some complication from surgery not resulting in death.  LAP-BAND® Surgery is considered ten times safer than Gastric Bypass Surgery.

Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery

• Mortality < 0.5%
• Major Complications
  ▪ Pulmonary embolism
  ▪ Leakage
  ▪ Bowel obstruction
  ▪ Other
• Minor Complications
  ▪ Minor infections
  ▪ Bleeding
  ▪ Stricture
  ▪ Gallstones
  ▪ Ulcer
  ▪ Nutritional deficiency
  ▪ Other