As a result of Gastric Bypass Surgery the average patient can expect to lose up to seventy five to eighty percent of their body weight. This weight loss is very rapid in the first year which usually results in the seventy five percent weight loss initally. If a patient experiences no health complications and continues with the plan prescribed by their doctor they should have continued weight loss up to ninety percent at the five year mark depending on their presurgery weight and body type, which is a dramatic amount of weight loss.
Due to this rapid weight loss patients can often expect to experience a lessening of their health problems that were related to obesity. Studies have shown improvement of sleep apnea, asthma, joint pain, arthritis, acid reflux, shortness of breath and lowers the chances of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and has even shown that type-two diabetics may no longer need their medication. In a study of five hundred patients, ninety six percent experienced an improvement in one or more of their health conditions.
Of course there are risks associated with obesity surgery. One in every three hundred gastric bypass patients dies post-operatively. This can often be from a variety of complications. This surgery is performed on patients with a high risk of complications from surgery, due to their obesity. The obesity surgery patient would have a higher risk of complications from any surgery compared to those healthier patients. As such it should only be done as a last resort.
After surgery you are at a higher risk of infection, (one patient took steps to prevent infection by putting up signs asking people to please wash their hands before touching him) which can set in around the staples on your stomach and on the incision where the doctor entered or you could develop blood poisoning.