Risks and Decisions to make.

What are the potential risks?

Gastric Bypass is a major operation and carries with it hazards of major surgery in general. These risks are usually increased in the obese patient. Before deciding whether to have surgery, it is important for you to know that the potential complications include:

• Wound infection—2%
• Leaks or perforations causing internal infection—Less than 1% and only in the first days after surgery.
  
• Opening later proves to be too small and may need endoscopic stretching—Less than 1%
• Incisional hernia---10% or more.
• Nutritional deficiencies, including osteoporosis, which can be avoided with adequate supplements.
  
• Death—0.3% 

Please also note that obesity surgery is not a miracle procedure or an easy way out. After an otherwise successful operation, it is possible to ignore your instructions and "out eat" the operation, thereby failing to lose weight or reversing an initial weight loss at a later time.

For greatest success following the operation, you must establish correct eating habits that include the selection and proper consumption of nutritious foods. The surgery makes this easier for you because the small pouch and small outlet help to eliminate continual hunger and place a limit on the amount you can eat at one time.

However, you play a critical role in achieving permanent weight loss and, of course, you are the main beneficiary. The necessary adjustments to your present habits will be yours to make, but the pride and feeling of accomplishment as you lose weight will be yours as well.

If you are not willing, or think you are unable to make these adjustments, then you will only be wasting your time and money and exposing yourself to unnecessary risks by having this operation.

It's Your Decision

The decision to undergo surgery for control of obesity should not be taken lightly. Because of the mental and physical effort required on your part to achieve success, your decision should be made only after careful thought and discussion with your family.

If you have any questions about the surgery, or what it entails, feel free to call our office. Then, if you should decide you would like to have the operation, you should make an appointment for in-depth information and discussion about the surgery. All questions will be answered.

Whatever your decision, we wish you every success. If you do have the operation, we promise that we will do our very best for you before, during, and after the surgery itself. With your cooperation, we can then hope to achieve a satisfactory and lasting result.

If your personal physician wishes to have additional information about obesity surgery, please contact us.