The Risks and Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Publish Date : 2021-01-25 11:01:24

Though popular and often preferred by weight loss surgeons in the United States for its efficiency and safety, gastric bypass is a major surgery. As such, it has a great impact on the body of the patients. Complications appear in rare cases, but they exist. The decision to undergo gastric bypass or any other type of bariatric surgery should always be an informed one, where the patient is fully aware of all the pros and cons the procedure comes with.

What is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

The procedure known as roux-en-y surgery can be done in several ways, but it generally consists of two phases:

First the stomach is divided into a smaller upper pouch and a remaining larger part.

Then the intestines are rearranged so, that they connect to both the newly created pouch and the remnant part of the stomach.

Roux-en-Y procedure has weight loss as its main goal, but it also improves obesity-related health conditions such as: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, respiratory problems, etc. It is performed on people with BMI over 40, but obese people with BMI over 35 with one or more life-endangering co-morbidities are also good gastric bypass candidates.

What are the Risks and Complications of Gastric Bypass?

The procedure can have short-term and long-term risks deriving from it being a major surgical intervention. Short-term risks include:

Incision-site infection

Heavy bleeding

Leaks in the gastrointestinal system

Blood clots, etc.

Pain (chest or abdominal pain)

Long-term risks of gastric bypass include:

Dumping syndrome, characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, weakness, sweating and even fainting

Ulcers or malignancy

Dehydration

Hypoglycemia

Malnutrition, etc.

In order for the procedure to have the lowest risk of complications, it has to be performed by an experienced weight loss surgery team. The overall health of the patient, as well as the capability to go through surgery with no problems, is assessed through a series of medical exams and lab tests.

Results of Gastric Bypass Surgery

One of the greatest achievements and the reason it is performed in the first place is long-term weight loss. The amount of lost weight is mainly a dependent of two factors:

In the case of complication-free Roux-en-Y surgery where healthy eating and living habits are adhered to, as much as half of the excess weight, sometimes even more, can be lost in about two years following surgery. Additionally, most of the health conditions associated with obesity can be significantly reduced, while some may be eliminated completely. The gastric bypass patient can perform daily tasks with greater ease, and can gradually return to a much better and healthier quality of life.

A successful surgery free of complications

The switch to life-long, healthy lifestyle habits

Griffin Hospital Bariatrics is a weight loss program located in Derby, CT. The program offers minimally invasive surgical weight loss options to those who fight obesity. works at Griffin Bariatrics not only as bariatric surgeon but as medical director as well.