Home - Weight Loss Surgery Options - Gastric Bypass Surgery - Gastric Bypass Complications and Risks
The risks of gastric bypass can be quite off-putting, ranging from benign complications to death. Though death occurs about 1 out of every 350 surgeries, the risk increases as the patients health worsens (diseases and excess weight are noted). Having the surgery at an older age also increases overall risks, because of co-morbidity problems. Two other serious risks, while rare, include heart attack and stroke.
More on Gastric Bypass Surgery
Following post-surgery there may be some aspects that can persist and cause adverse complications. With any surgery this is possible, but with bariatric surgery the problem is increased by its scale. RNY Gastric Bypass is a major surgical procedure that can cause death during surgery or following surgery, and major complications. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass complications can be benign similar to side effects and very serious.
Complications Resulting from RNY Gastric Bypass
Complications and risks from RNY gastric bypass are broken into two categories: early complications and late complications.
Early Complications with Gastric Bypass
Early complications occur with patients are within the first two months after surgery and they can cause minor and major problems. On average, 10% of patients have some sort of minor problems, while 5% have some sort of major complications. These problems are likely to require medical attention.
Late Complications with Gastric Bypass
Following two months after surgery there are still risks that can occur including anastamotic ulcer at less than 1%, Anastamotic stricture at 1%, Iron deficiency, B12 deficiency, Incision hernia, potassium deficiency (rare), and small bowel obstructions. Iron deficiency can be avoided by eating foods that are high in iron including meat, fish, poultry, oysters, dried beans, whole-grain, figs, raisins, etc.
One of the more serious complications that can result is internal bleeding. Internal bleeding can be apparent in stools, vomiting and urine. Bleeding occurs about 2% of patients. Other complication include lactose intolerance, which can occur after successful gastric bypass. Intolerance can be handled with a specific diet plan and modifications. Gallstones, Infections, vomiting, gastritis can be caused by gastric bypass, which can lead to poor eyesight and osteoporosis.