Gastric Bypass Complications

According to statistics, 1 in 50 people who get gastric bypass surgery die within a month after surgery, and although the health gain is great if the person survives, the risks taken are many and severe. The most common causes of death from this surgery are leakages, infections, and problems of the lungs and the heart. Since the people subjecting themselves to this procedure are usually morbidly obese, they already carry several health problems with them such as diabetes, respiratory problems or cardiac problems, which makes them prone to surgery complications.

At the very earliest, although rare, complications can arise during surgery due to anesthetics. This is a risk that everyone who has surgery is exposed to, but since people who undergo gastric bypass surgery may have follow up surgeries, such as skin removal, the risk is increased. A condition where a lung partially collapses, called Atelectasis, may lead to pneumonia if not treated correctly and it occurs in about 1% of operations.

Arrythmia, which is a cardiac irregularity, may also occur during surgery sometimes developing into cardiac arrest and proving fatal. Although complications during surgery are probable, the mayor risks appear afterward, usually within a month or two post-operation.

Anastamotic leakages, which are leakages at the staple or suture line, as well as leakages of the GI tract and severe infections, are some of the most common gastric bypass surgery complications. When there is a leakage of contents from the stomach or the intestine, a second surgery is immediately necessary to close the leak and clean the remains, this may lead to more respiratory and cardiac problems during surgery, especially if the patient did not have enough time to recover from the first operation.

It is imperative that the tissues of obese patients are handled carefully to prevent wound separation, which may lead to blood loss and infection. As with any mayor surgery, antibiotics need to be carefully administered to prevent and cure infections. Since the patients are bed ridden for long periods of time, there is a possibility that blood clots will form in the veins of the patient’s legs. When a clot breaks, the blood flows to the lungs and may lead to pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal if the arteries of the lung get blocked and it is not treated with blood-thinning medication on time.

Bowel obstruction due to adhesion's or scar tissue also occur and may require further surgery to restore the normal function of the GI tract. Rapid gastric emptying, also called Dumping Syndrome, is usually characterized by nausea and painful abdominal cramps and it is caused by improper digestion of the contents of the stomach, which in turn are dumped straight into the small intestine. In some extreme cases, Dumping syndrome requires yet another surgery to be cured.

Other seen complications after gastric bypass are urinary tract infection, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, thrombophlebitis, anastamotic ulcers, incision hernias, gallstones, gastritis, as well as side effects such as bleeding, bloating, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Other less drastic and more treatable complications of gastric bypass are deficiencies of vital nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and potassium. It is very important that patients take supplements of all these vitamins and minerals to prevent anemia and other health issues. In some cases, where there have been post-operation complications, a feeding tube needs to be placed inside the patient to provide essential nutrients to the intestinal tract.

Life after gastric bypass surgery is very different, and some people find it difficult to adapt. Looks change rapidly and, along with the loss of weight, there can be a loss of hair too and therefore radical appearance changes. About 5 to 10 percent of patients have some sort of psychological challenge after their surgery. Diet is an essential part of the success of gastric bypass surgery. For the first few weeks after surgery, the patient must be on a liquid diet of only clear, sugar-free liquids. Some things such as sugar must be permanently eliminated from the diet. Soft foods can be introduced slowly and in moderation, and later on, solid food can be consumed, but since the stomach is greatly reduced in size, the portions must be very small and eaten very slowly.