Bariatric surgery is just like any other surgery in that there is a risk that the patient may experience some form of complication, either during or following the surgery. If a patient is concerned about any of these factors then it's highly advised that they discuss them with their surgeon prior to their surgery, so the proper steps can be taken to either limit or prevent them completely.
It's important to remember, though, that no surgery is completely risk-free, but common bariatric surgeries are relatively safe as the NHS outlined in 2012 in the section of their website entitled Weight Loss Surgery: "if you had no risk factors, your risk of death would 1 in 500."
Extreme Obesity
If the patient is extremely overweight then this will increase the risk of complications during surgery because of the increased amount of fat in the area. This will mean that it's much harder for the surgeon to work as his view may be obscured or using conventional surgical tools may be difficult due to the sheer amount of fat present.
This is why many bariatric surgeons demand that a patient adopt a specific diet and exercise program prior to the surgery, so the risk of any complications occurring is significantly reduced.
Inexperienced Surgeon
The risk of experiencing complications is heightened when an inexperienced surgeon is carrying out the surgery. This is because the surgeon may know what they are doing, but if anything unexpected happens during the surgery then they may not know what to do in this situation. Failure to respond correctly in a situation like this could mean that the procedure is carried out incorrectly, or even the death of the patient. The best advice here is to opt for a surgeon who carries out the specific procedure in the patient's specific healthcare facility on a regular basis.
History of Deep Vein Thrombosis
One of the most common causes of death, during and after surgery, is the pulmonary embolism, which is where a piece of a blood clot breaks away and causes breathing problems in the lungs. This happens in a quarter of all deep vein thrombosis cases. And, according to a BBC article on the official BBC website written by Carolyn Driver [when talking about the pulmonary embolism]: "Without treatment this can kill up to one in ten people."
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a patient is inactive for a long period of time, but if the patient tells the surgeon about this history then they will be given a medicine, such as heparin, to thin the blood. The patient's legs may also be moved during the surgery to keep the flow of blood moving safely.
Various types of bariatric surgery can be undergone all around the world. Some people may decide to opt for a warm and tropical landscape where they might obtain a lap band in India, whereas others might decide to stay closer to home and get a gastric sleeve in Las Vegas instead.
