Choosing to undergo weight-loss surgery is a big step, and one that offers many benefits to your overall health.
Reduces body weight: Weight-loss surgery is one of the most effective ways to lose weight quickly and safely.
Improves physical health: Weight-loss surgery improves overall health and reduces risks of premature death, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, arthritis, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease.
Increases well-being: Weight-loss surgery improves mobility, self-esteem, and self-confidence, and reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.
If you’re considering having bariatric surgery, it's important to understand that any medical weight-loss procedure can have risks associated with it. Some of the risks related to weight-loss surgery are similar to any operation that involves the use of general anesthesia and incisions.
These can include:
Blood loss
Infection at the surgical site
Shock (related to blood loss, sepsis or pulmonary embolism)
Low postoperative urine output/dehydration/urinary retention
Nausea and vomiting
Pain
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/blood clots
Fever
Increased heart rate and/or elevated blood pressure during the procedure
The risk of experiencing complications from any type of surgical procedure depends on several factors, including:
Age and overall health
Pre-existing problems related to cardiovascular system or breathing
Diseases such as diabetes, cancer or other factors that can slow the healing process
Postoperative problems related to weight-loss surgery may also include:
Constipation
Dumping syndrome, which includes diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting
Poor absorption of nutrients from food, or malnutrition
Severe malnutrition, requiring reversal (duodenal switch)
Hair thinning and/or hair loss
Heartburn
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)
Post-surgical lactose intolerance
It's impossible to completely eliminate the chances that a patient will experience one or more weight-loss surgery complications. However, you can minimize the risk of having problems both during and after the weight-loss operation by carefully following all pre-operative instructions provided by your surgeon and the Clovis Community Weight-Loss Surgery Center team.