Bariatric procedures are a type of surgery that can be used to help patients who are clinically obese (for men who are at least 100 pounds overweight and for women who are at least 80 pounds overweight). There are a variety of bariatric procedures, but the most common are gastric bypass and laparoscopic banding.
Immediate Complications
Because bariatric procedures involve surgery there are some complications that can occur during the procedure that are common to most kinds of surgery. Bariatric surgery involves the use of general anesthesia, which can cause patients to have a stroke, have a heart attack or go into shock. Some patients have allergic reactions to the anesthesia as well, leading to trouble breathing during the surgery. Finally, all surgeries carry with them the risk of blood vessels, other organs or nerves being damaged during the procedure. In addition, weight loss surgery can cause patients to develop infections at the surgery site, which can lead to swelling, bleeding and abdomen pain.
Short-Term Complications
Some of the more immediate complications that can result from bariatric surgery include blood clots that typically begin in the legs. Blood can clot in the veins when there's not much movement of the blood. This is especially a concern for the legs because the veins there rely on muscle activity to move blood around. After bariatric surgery, many patients are inactive for a period of time while they recover. These blood clots can travel to the lungs and cause a serious condition called a pulmonary embolism. Another bariatric surgery risk is early complications from the surgery itself. With gastric bypass surgery the staples used to sew the intestines back together can leak, which can cause the contents of the intestines to enter the abdominal cavity (which is a medical emergency). If the patient receives laparoscopic band surgery, the band can slip leading to intense abdominal pain and nausea.
Long-Term Complications
Because bariatric procedures limit the capacity of the digestive system, they can cause malnutrition if patients do not follow a carefully designed diet and take vitamin and mineral supplements. The malnutrition can cause patients to develop anemia, osteoporosis or other serious complications from vitamin deficiency. Patients can also develop gallstones as a result of rapid weight loss. Another possible complication is called a stricture, which occurs when the connection between the stomach and the intestines gets narrow, leading to pain, gas and nausea. Patients can also develop hernias from tissue bulging through the incision site.
Member Comments