The Complications of Weight Loss Surgery
Are you shocked to learn that someone who lost a huge amount of weight through WLS is not prepared to recommend it to anyone?
Why no recommendation?
Let TS tell you in her own words:
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One thing I would tell the public about, and many folks do not know this, is the infections and consequences suffered by many. I think it’s a theme kept behind closed doors because otherwise
people would not have a surgery.I suffered horrible infections and lost 52 pounds in 30 days - not a bad way to lose weight, but the ordeal I had to go through was unbelievable, including:
• walking around with drains coming out of my body,
• food tubes hanging from my stomach,
• being alone in the hospital because for so many days, my family was at work
• being poked for blood every single day at least 3 times per day
• being in intensive care, thinking all the time I was going to die.I think if someone wrote about this part of the bariatric surgery experience, many might seek other means to losing weight.
I don’t condemn it, but after what I have been through, I would not recommend it to anyone.
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Tell me, how many of you have read this sort of feedback on any of the “information” sites readily accessible on the internet…..
Anyone….?
You Need the Whole Story - Not a Sales Pitch
Don’t get me wrong - I am not saying for a second that you should or should not have WLS. I am a believer in the power for positive change that can come with successful WLS.
All I want you to do is understand the whole story. If you then decide to have WLS you will have a better chance of success.
Why? Because research has proven that those patients who are well informed, have a significantly better chance of being a success story. That’s why one recent study recommended that all patients undergo a study course and a knowledge test before their WLS was approved.
You read that right - only graduates of WLS school would be allowed to have the surgery.
Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS doesn’t hold anything back
Weight_Loss Surgery SECRETS covers all the likely complications that might arise with WLS and informs you of what to expect. To a large degree, it will arm you with all of the information and knowledge you need to minimize, conquer and down-right side-step many of the complications and issues that beset the average WLS patient.
If you want to get a sneak preview of the book, GO here
…..and then GO here to enter the competition to win a free copy.
Now, where were we….
Complication…what complications?
The fact is, there are at least 11 peri-operative complications (occurring during surgery or up to a week after). Here are a few of those:
• bowel obstruction
• respiratory failure
• deep vein thrombosis
• gastric leaks
• ulcerations.
While death is relatively rare in patients under 65 (3-4 per 1000 patients), it increases to 3-4 per 100 patients over the age of 65. The most common causes of death are:
• heart attacks
• strokes
• pulmonary emboli (clots in the lungs), and
• infection.
Then there are complications that can arise in first 6 months after surgery. For example, up to one third of WLS patients can develop gall stones in the first 6 months and this may lead to their gall bladder being removed. Another is stomal stenosis, and another arises when the lap band is too tight and starts to erode the stomach.
Then there are longer term complications, such as ventral hernia.
What is the risk I will suffer a complication?
About 22%…. that’s right - you will have a 1 in 5 chance of having a complication while in hospital. Think I am exaggerating?
Well, I’m not - that figure comes from a US Government report published in the August 2006 issue of Medical Care. And here’s the punch line…
….that figure rose to 40% over the 6 months following surgery.
That’s almost a 1 in 2 chance of suffering from a complication - is it just me, or do these seem like crazy odds!
Does this impact on the cost of surgery?
You bet it does!
The same study concluded that costs increased by about $10,000 (on average) for a person who suffered a complication. However, if a complication required re-hospitalization, the cost rose to an average of $65,031.
What is the impact on me?
By now, you are probably wondering “what does all this mean for me”.
On the one hand, what is means is you have a 78% chance of having the perfect procedure and hospital stay and then a 60% chance of having no complication within the first 6 months.
But for the rest of you, it means complication can arise…..
…..and the impact of those complications?
In a nutshell, TS summed up her experience pretty well - thanks TS for sharing it with us.
Of course, there are other stories. If you have had WLS and were unlucky enough to suffer complications, it would be great if you would share your story with us here.
Thanks
JK
PS. Don’t forget to join the announcement list for Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS - do that by either
• downloading my free report from here , or
• submitting your details here
January 17th, 2008 at 9:32 am
According to the David Flum studies, the death rate on Gastric bypass is 1 in 50 die within 30 days of surgery and another 2-4 percent die within the first year. Above 60, 5-7 percent die within the first year.
January 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
All surgeries have a risk. Not just wls. I am planning on having wls after seeing the benifits that 3 people I know who have had it done. Without problems. I’d also like to state that in October my husband had a hernia operation. There were problems with the surgery (infection) we came close to losing him.
So again there is risk with any surgery. I feel the benefits out weigh the risks. But I still want to go in with my open.
Goldie
January 17th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
it,s not that i,m not interested, i just don,t know how to go about it, and i have heard it is a long process as far as going back and forth to the doctor before it is done. i,m interested in the lapband. i,m not a person that stays still to long and i,m not a person that wants to want 6 months to have something done
January 17th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I had Roux-Y Gastric Bypass wls in Oct 2006 and I made the best choice I could. Not everyone is going to have a fantastic story, I have had my share of problems, but my body also had a lot of problems which are all working out now. I would definitely recommend WLS to anyone, it is the best decision and I would do it again!!!! Every person is different and every one is allowed there own opinion but what I have found is that everyone reacts differently and you really have to be 150 percent ready for this, and that includes your mind as well. My fiance’ had the same surgery two months after me and his journey was so different from mine but it all worked out great for both of us.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I have two friends that had gastric by-pass. Both had minimal complcations, i.e., nausea, vomiting, hair loss, etc. But interestingly enough, they have both gained back approximately 50% of their weight loss. I have researched LapBand because my doctor absolutely refuses to let me have a by-pass, because I am a Type One diabetic. The LapBand seems to be the solution for my weight loss. A woman that works in my office had it a year ago, and had no complications and it has taken a year for her to get to her “goal” weight. I would like to hear more from LapBand recipients, as to whether or not they had major complications.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:00 am
[…] Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS “Empowering You to Make Your Best Decision” « The Complications of Weight Loss Surgery […]
January 18th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I’m not sure that you are really doing a service here. You talk about WLS as a whole but what are you talking about? Lap band, Roux-y bypass, open procedure, laproscopic? All surgery has risks and risks increase with obesity. Open procedures have a much greater risk than laproscopic.
Then lets talk about the risks of being 100-200 pounds over weight.
You seen to lump everything together and then say you are not for or against, but if I didn’t do real homework you would scare the hell out of me.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I searched for \’Lap Band Obesity Surgery\’ at google and found this your post (\’The Complications of Weight Loss Surgery\’) in search results. Not very relevant result, but still interesting to read.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Thank you all for your thoughtful comments.
Sue, I’d love to see that study, if you could provide a link I’d really appreciate it - they are grim statistics.
Goldie, you are quite right all surgeries come with their own inherent risks however we have to keep in mind that anyone qualifying as a candidate for WLS is at a much higher risk than the general population.
Dana it is a lengthy process but for good reason, but taking the time to do it right could save you time in the long run not to mention pain, grief and expense. The great thing about Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS is it cuts thru weeks or months of research, it is a comprehensive guide of unbiased, truthful information about WLS.
Dianne, Lapband is less painful and the recovery is faster which is a great bonus. But like your friends proved, your game plan cannot end after the surgery is complete & the weight is lost or the weight is simply regained. It calls for a life-long strategy and this is something that is discussed in Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS, including a sample meal plan to last your lifetime!
Thank you Jacque for reminding us WLS comes in many different forms each with its own risks and advantages. For brevity sake in my blog posts I have ‘lumped’ them together but you are correct that each should be considered on its individual merits which is exactly what has been done in the book. Each type of WLS is discussed in terms of how it works and its inherent pros and cons.
Thank you all very much. Please keep this great conversation going!
JK
January 25th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Yep - I would agree with that.. Thanks for the line.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article The Complications of Weight Loss Surgery, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS …
Being morbidly obese can cause your life to change for the worse. From a recent survey, it was determined that there are over eight million Americans who are facing morbid obesity. Along with morbid obesity comes a variety of symptoms that can lead to …
March 19th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Gastric Bypass Statistics…
Your blog makes very interesting reading. I’m sure others will think so too I look forward to reading their comments….
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