Gastric Bypass Surgery Risk

With approximately 9 million Americans living with morbid obesity today, gastric bypass surgery has become more and more popular. I recently read where a reported 150,000 people have opted to undergo the surgery in 2004 alone. Many individuals have benefited from this surgery but one has to wonder how many surgeons are actually experienced in this surgery. I think this may be the biggest risk associated with this surgery.

When surgeons began removing gallbladders through laparoscopic surgery, hundreds of patients suffered complications from this long considered routine operation. Numerous malpractice claims were filed against surgeons. Many of the doctors performing laparoscopic surgery had not undergone proper training. Some had as little as a weekend of training. The rise in claims occurred three years after the first laparoscopic gallbladder removal, and malpractice specialists expect a similar spike in claims from gastric surgery patients and their families. Those considering gastric bypass surgery should research the many complications associated with this surgery, paying special attention to the experience level of the surgeon.