The Disadvantages Of Bariatric Surgery

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For people who are morbidly obese, if methods like diets and exercises did not help them to shed pounds, then a weight loss surgery can be an effective and durable approach to consider. Known with the generic term as bariatric surgery – these methods help people lose weight by at some way changing their digestive system. This is done by making changes in their hormonal system or by restricting the food that a person can eat.

One would ask how are these surgeries done? Well, according to the American Society for Metabolism and Bariatric Surgery invasive techniques are used minimally in most of the weight loss surgeries today. That means these invasive techniques involve minimum entry into the living body as by incision or by insertion of an instrument.

In addition, there are three most common types of bariatric surgery and each of them is done differently: gastric bypass, gastric banding, and gastric sleeve surgery. Although these surgeries have proven many advantages, there are also potential risks, complications and side effects that occur years later or in a short period after the surgery.

As medicalnewstoday reports, some of the common risks of these three bariatric surgeries are wound infection, injury to abdominal organs, and malnutrition. For a further contemplation, you should know that each of the three mentioned surgeries has their own disadvantages which we will explain in this article.

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Let’s see below the disadvantages of each of these three most common bariatric surgeries:

1. In gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon uses staples in order to reduce a part of your stomach, so a smaller stomach remains. Next, the created small is then connected to the small intestine. The surgery is quite complex, irreversible and has these disadvantages:

a) it is likely to cause long-term vitamin or mineral deficiency (therefore it requires a commitment to life-long vitamin/mineral supplementation and adherence to dietary recommendations)

b) leaks in the gastrointestinal system (the new connection created in your intestines and stomach might not be fully healed so it might leak).

c) excessive bleeding (according to goodsamhosp.org bleeding after gastric surgery has been reported in 0.6 to 4.0% of patients, also they state that if continued bleeding occurs the patient might need another surgery to correct the problem.)

d) next, after the surgery, a patient might be prone to several infections, such as wound infection, lung infections, incision site infections or internal staple lines (anastomosis lines) infection.

e) blood clots (during or after the surgery blood clots can be formed in blood vessels)

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2. With gastric band surgery, a silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to reduce food intake and decrease stomach size. According to medicalnewstoday between 15 to 60 % of patients need to do a follow-up surgery because of the risks associated with this method:

a) The band can erode or shift in the stomach creating a need for removal, thus for an additional surgery.

b) The patients lose weight slower compared to other surgeries.

c) According to goodsamhosp.org if one drinks fluids too fast or even overeats after the surgery it will lead to esophageal dilatation. Another factor that might be related to esophageal dilatation is the adjustment of the band. If the band is too tightly adjusted it is more likely to lead to the mentioned complications.

d) It takes greater commitment and care with the food intake after the surgery and requires implanted medical advice.

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3. Gastric sleeve surgery is a new approach to weight loss. According to DocShop the procedure decreases around 85% of your stomach size, so it rather takes the shape of a “sleeve”. Although this surgery as well achieved promising results, yet there are some disadvantages or side effects to consider before you take any further decision:

a) As healthdirect.gov.au reports the sleeve may expand after the surgery and it might cause you to regain some of the lost weight.

b) Whereas according to obesitynewstoday.com because of the stomach stapling there is potential for leaks in 2.1% of the patients.

c) Since it’s a new type of surgery there is no long-term data about the results in patients. So when a problem occurs, it might take a longer time to solve it comparing to the other two surgeries.

d) Nausea or vomiting first it might be difficult to realize how much food your new stomach needs in order to feel satiated. When eating too much food or drinking too many liquids, it might cause nausea or even vomiting. So one has a lot of work to do in order to adjust to the new organ.

In the end, It’s very important to discuss bariatric surgery disadvantages with a physician before you take any final decision. The risks of obesity and serious complications should be weighted prior to the surgery. As long-term and healthy lifestyle choices should be combined in order for bariatric surgery to be successful.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article: text, graphics, images, and other materials contained are strictly for informational purposes only. The Content is NOT intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice, or treatment. Please ALWAYS seek the advice of a qualified health provider with all the questions that you have related to, or about, a medical condition.

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