| By :
Steve Weber
Bariatric surgery complications makes quite a list. For millions of people suffering from obesity and the frustration of being unable to shed the excess pounds, many often overlook the complications to get to the instant relief that they are expecting. However, some short term complications that patients may experience are pneumonia, blood clots, and infection of the incision. Long term complications can include ulcers where the small intestine is attached to the upper stomach, a weakness in the area of the surgery and the rare possibility of a narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the intestine. Another rare complication is hypoglycemia or very low blood sugar. This rare but serious condition, when treating with diet modification does not work, results in a second surgery being required to remove a part of the pancreas. Also after the surgery, the body may not be able to absorb necessary nutrients effectively. This can result in anemia due to low iron or low B12, neurological complications due to low B12, kidney stones may form due to changes in the way the body processes minerals, and possible bone disease due to low calcium and/or vitamin D. Normal complications that appear to occur are dehydration due to the body's inability to take in as large a quantity of fluids because of the reduced stomach capacity. Patients are encouraged to drink fluids regularly throughout the day to avoid this and other bariatric surgery complications. Serious complications are known to occur in only a few surgeries that are performed. Bariatric surgery complications that can occur several years after the surgery include bowel obstructions, kidney stones, gastric leak, and emotional problems due to severe, fast weight loss. When considering bariatric surgery, the patient is instructed to quit smoking prior to the procedure, as smoking increases the risk of problems with anesthesia as well slows healing time and increases the risk of pneumonia problems with the anesthesia. Patients are also instructed to attempt to lose weight prior to the surgery. It's believed that this helps the body adjust to the rapid weight loss after the surgery by helping to prepare for the severe reduction in calories after the surgery. Patients who do not follow post operative instructions are bound to have more problems that those who do follow the instructions. Extreme weight loss of this type puts excessive stress on the chest cavity, increasing the risk of pneumonia and pulmonary embolisms or blood clots. When considering your options for weight loss, be sure to review all of the possible bariatric surgery complications prior to making your decision to have the surgery.
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