Some doctors avoid using the adjustable band procedure because they think it needs to be adjusted or removed too often, and because they believe the weight-loss results aren’t as strong, according to Dr. Robinson. Others prefer it, saying it’s safer and just as successful in terms of pounds lost.

Dr. Wolfe says he doesn’t recommend one gastric procedure over the other. However, patients at a higher risk for complications may be advised to choose a lower-risk procedure like banding, he says.

Even though the complications from bariatric surgery are rare and usually reparable, patients can take certain precautions to ensure an even safer recovery.

Patients who have experienced blood clots prior to the surgery were more prone to having them again, regardless of the kind of operation, explains Dr. Wolfe. He says that the increased risk of complications in patients who were so heavy they couldn’t walk was not surprising.

“It’s believed to be important that after surgery, patients walk around to reduce blood clots,” Dr. Wolfe says. “But if a person is unable, they presumably are at a higher risk for blood clots.”

Patients should lose some weight before surgery because it can lower the risk of complications, experts agree. “That goes along with our finding that the very highest weights or severity of obesity is associated with greatest risk,” says Dr. Wolfe.

He recommends losing 10% of one’s body weight before surgery to help speed recovery. “[But] a low BMI didn’t automatically mean the complication rate is lower,” he cautions. “Other factors are involved.”

When choosing a hospital for the surgery, experts recommend considering the center’s expertise, equipment, dietary program, nonphysician health-care providers, and the anesthesiologists’ skill and experience (it is harder to administer anesthesia to heavier patients).

The researchers plan to follow 2,400 patients for several years after surgery to determine the long-term complications and benefits of the different procedures.

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