Benefits and risks
The benefits of bariatric surgery are numerous and over the long-term can improve health and wellness in dramatic ways. While all surgery carries some degree of risk, our surgical weight management program has an extremely low complication rate. If a surgical complication does arise, your surgeon and the nursing staff will work to resolve the problem quickly. Some complications may involve an extended hospital stay and recovery period, or the need to return to the operating room.
Benefits
- Significant sustained weight loss
- Blood-sugar levels for patients with Type 2 diabetes improve almost immediately and become completely normal within a year of surgery, especially with gastric bypass.
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower cholesterol
- Relief from sleep apnea
- Relief from acid reflux
- Less osteoarthritis pain
- Improved mobility
- Improved mood and self-esteem
- Improved overall quality of life is often reported by our patients
- Risks that are greatly reduced with laparoscopic procedures include wound infection and a tissue tear at the site of the incision.
Risks
- Loosening of the line of staples used to create the Roux-en-Y pouch and the sleeve pouch.
- Pouch stretching or leakage.
- Vomiting because of the decreased size of the stomach, especially after overeating.
- With gastric bypass, you may experience "dumping syndrome" caused by stomach contents moving too quickly through the small intestine and rapid changes in the blood sugar levels causing bloating, pain, vomiting, sweating, rapid heart rate, lightheadedness and diarrhea.
- Development of gallstones, which could lead to a laparoscopic procedure known as cholecystectomy to remove the gallbladder.
- Blood clots–which most times can be avoided by wearing special stockings, compression boots and injected blood thinners for a few days after surgery.
- Vitamin deficiencies–prevented by taking daily vitamin supplements for life.
- Obstruction of the stomach or dilation of the esophagus.
Highest level of accreditation for safety and quality
Our surgical weight management program has been recognized as a Level 1A accreditation Bariatric Surgery Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), the highest level of accreditation awarded by the American College of Surgeons, for the safety and quality of our program.