WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2009 (Health.com) — Weight-loss surgery isn’t risk-free, but a new study suggests that in the hands of a skilled surgeon, it may be safer than previously thought. However, some people—including those with sleep apnea or a history of blood clots—are more likely to have problems with surgery than others, according to a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“The overall conclusion that we reached is that bariatric-surgery safety is actually quite good,” says Bruce Wolfe, MD, a professor of surgery at the Oregon Health and Science University.
In the past, bariatric procedures have been associated with death rates of 2% to 3% and complication rates of up to 24%. However, the obesity epidemic is fueling a rise in such surgeries, prompting concerns about their safety. In 2005, 171,000 people underwent bariatric surgery, more than 10 times the number that had the procedure in 1994.
To assess the safety of such operations, Dr. Wolfe and his colleagues looked at 4,776 patients in the first month after having a bariatric procedure. They found that 4.3% of patients had a serious problem, such as a blood clot or needing another operation, and 0.3%, or 15 patients, died within a month after surgery—a complication rate similar to other types of surgery.
Four main factors seemed to increase the risk of complications, including sleep apnea, severe obesity, a history of blood clots, and an inability to walk at least 200 feet prior to surgery.
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in the obese (about half of the patients in the study had the condition). Excess weight in the neck region can contribute to sleep apnea, which is characterized by snoring and the collapse of the upper airway during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times a night.
Sleep apnea causes sleepers to snort and gasp for breath and is associated with high blood pressure, vascular changes, and a greater risk of heart disease. “We assume (the effects) are related to why it is a surgical risk,” Dr. Wolfe says.
Next page: Overall, bariatric surgery can be a lifesaver
Comments (1)
Very interesting stuff , weight loss surgery is such a hard way to go . just exercise and eating healthy will benefit you much more , but if all else fails …. surgery is the other option.
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