Bariatric Surgery Risks

Bariatric surgery is becoming quite the popular way to get rid of excessive fat. Even though the procedure may seem harmless, there are certain risk factors which every individual must know. It is necessary to know both sides of the coin before making a decision, therefore you must know of risks and benefits before you opt for it.

What is Bariatric Surgery?
This is a procedure in which the size of the stomach is reduced by various procedures or options that help in rapid weight loss. One such procedure is gastric banding, in which a silicone device that is inflatable is implanted in the top part of the stomach by performing laparoscopy or a procedure in which a part of the stomach is removed known as sleeve gastrectomy.

Risk Factors of Bariatric Surgery
There are various risk factors which may be post-operative risks or general surgery risks. Post-operative risk factors involved are mostly related to malabsorption when the surgery performed is a gastric bypass wherein the body's ability to absorb nutrients is limited. The other procedure in which the calorie intake is reduced causes problems due to malnutrition and others. Following are the risks involved. Before mentioning them, it is important to know that it is advised that this procedure must be opted for by patients who are obese and have an extremely high BMI and losing weight by any other healthy way is difficult. Following are the complications that must be considered before undergoing this procedure. Preparing for the surgery is equally important and therefore knowing about the risks is necessary.

The immediate risk involved with this surgery is depression. This has been observed in patients with a BMI (body mass index) of 40 kg/m² or more. Anemia is a deficiency risk that can be faced. In this condition due to a basic iron deficiency, the hemoglobin (which requires iron to be functional) is reduced. Hemoglobin is the carrier of oxygen and therefore this condition can occur due to malabsorption of iron. Osteoporosis is another risk that can also occur. In this there might be a malabsorption of calcium from the food. Loose skin is a risk that can be attributed to this surgery. The skin may lose its elasticity.

When a person who has undergone this surgery eats too much, the contents from the stomach may get dumped into the small intestine which can cause cold sweats and diarrhea. The foreign object implanted into the stomach may erode the tissue. Sometimes there might be a disruption in the stapled part of the stomach this may lead to food passing into the part which has been stapled off. This may lead to accumulation of the food in that space and cause severe abdominal pain. Ulcers may form in areas of stomach that have undergone the surgical procedure. The exposure to acids can lead to this condition. Gallstones is another condition that develops in one out of three patients who have undergone a weight loss surgery. Gallstones are caused due to rapid loss in weight and decreased intake of food. Both these situations arise after a bariatric surgery. Therefore risk of gallstones is quite high. This condition is controlled by medication prescribed by surgeons. A person may suffer from seizures due to the hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. This results due to the compromised secretion of insulin. Incisional hernia is also observed in patients post surgery.

Intraoperative Risks
These are the risks that can be encountered during a surgery. These are divided into three categories.

• Bleeding due to splenic injury
• Injury of the G.I. Tract
• Complications of stapling

All the risks are explained by the surgeon prior to the surgery. Though a procedure to get back into shape, there are various precautions you need to take. A bariatric diet plan is recommended to avoid complications. A strict diet and exercise regime can help you stay fit post surgery.