Factors Contributing To Complications Of Weight Loss Surgery
posted 05/23/03

By Susan Aldridge, PhD

Gastric bypass surgery is an effective way of reducing weight, but certain factors increase the risk of complications.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have looked at the results of laparoscopic - or 'keyhole' - surgery for weight loss. This involves using just a small incision to attach a loop of small intestine to the stomach, drastically reducing its volume.

A group of 188 patients were studied of whom 26 per cent suffered complications - mainly due to narrowing of the site where the small intestine was attached. Surgeon experience, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure were the main risk factors linked with complications. But most of those who had the surgery experienced profound weight loss and a corresponding decrease in diabetes. Gastric bypass surgery is a drastic remedy for obesity but clearly it can be very effective, with laparoscopic surgery being at least equivalent to the more conventional open surgery.

Source: Health and Age: Archives of Surgery May 2003.

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