Weight Loss Surgery's Hidden Dangers
New Study Links Bariatric Surgery and Broken Bones
Jun 24, 2009
The most common type of weight loss surgery performed in the United States is gastric bypass. As described in the WebMD Weight Loss Surgery Health Center topic Gastric Bypass, the procedure is performed by separating a small portion of the stomach and reattaching it to the middle portion of the small intestine, bypassing most of the stomach and the duodenum.
This type of surgery helps patients lose weight by both limiting the amount of food they can eat and by restricting the number of calories their bodies can absorb. Combined with lifestyle changes including diet and exercise, weight loss surgery can be successful in treating obesity and the diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Risks of Weight Loss Surgery
Like any major medical procedure, bariatric surgery has risks. An article by Mayo Clinic staff writers titled Gastric Bypass Surgery: What Can You Expect? lists the following risks associated with this particular type of surgery.
- Death - The risk of death during bariatric surgery is estimated to be one death per 200 to 300 surgeries, with Medicare patients presenting the highest risk.
- Blood clots in the legs - Obese people are generally more prone to blood clots. That fact, combined with restricted movement post surgery can lead to dangerous blood clot formation.
- Leakage along staple lines - This is generally treated with antibiotics but can become severe enough to require emergency surgery.
- Incision hernia - This weakening of the incision area is most likely to occur with a large incision and may require a surgical repair.
- Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine - This rare complication may require surgical intervention to repair.
- Dumping syndrome - This is a condition resulting from foods moving too quickly through the digestive track and may be associated with high-fat or sugar foods.
Aside from these life threatening complications, the article lists other less critical but still dangerous risks.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency
- Dehydration
- Gall stones
- Stomach ulcers
- Food intolerance
- Kidney stones
- Low blood sugar
Broken Bones Added to the List of Complications Resulting from Bariatric Surgery
In a six year study of 142 bariatric surgery patients, ninety percent of whom underwent gastric bypass surgery, Mayo Clinic researchers determined there to be a two-fold increase in bone fractures among bariatric surgery patients when compared to the general population. The findings of the study were presented at the 2009 Endocrine Society Annual Meeting and reported in a June 11, 2009 article by Crina Frincu-Mallos, PhD, ENDO 2009: Bariatric Surgery Linked to Increased Fracture Risks, published in Medscape Today.
The authors of the study noted that increased bone fractures are a long term complication of bariatric surgery, tending to occur near the end of the study as opposed to the first months post surgery. They also note that the cause of the increased risk is unknown, and that further studies are needed to control for such variables as age, sex, and weight.
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