Pros And Cons Of Gastric Bypass Surgery

What are the pros and cons of gastric bypass surgery?

As with any major life changing surgery there are many pros and cons and all should be thoroughly explored and discussed with your doctor and family before undergoing the procedure. None of these are an absolute. They may or may not happen -- both pro and con. Be prepared for these possibilities.

Cons:

• Urinary Tract Infection
• Bowel Obstruction
• Obstruction of the stomach outlet: the outlet post surgery is about the size of the tip of your pinky finger. You have to learn to chew everything you swallow to be less than that! You will not have stomach acid in the pouch; consequently, if you swallow anything bigger it’s stuck.
• Chronic nutritional problems
• Protein deficiency
• Vitamin deficiency
• Mineral deficiency
• Nausea
• Food Intolerances such as: Sugar, Milk and Milk Sugar, and Red Meats.
• Changed Bowel Habits
• Transient Hair Loss: During the rapid weight loss following the surgery you will probably lose much of your hair. It will grow back. My doctor told me to invest in some nice hats for the duration.
• Loss of muscle mass

Pros:

• Loss of high blood pressure: 70% of patients are able to go off all blood pressure medications post-op.
• Loss of high blood cholesterol: 80% of patients develop normal cholesterol levels within 2-3 months after surgery.
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Increased probability of reducing all need for medication in a diagnosed Type II Diabetes patient.
• Reversal of borderline diabetes
• Reduced asthma attacks, and in some cases a total discontinuation.
• Reduced Respiratory Insufficiency: Many patients find that within just months of the surgery they have almost no respiratory problems at all and can participate in normal activities they have missed out on for years.
• Relief of Sleep Apnea Syndrome
• Relief from Acid Reflux Disease
• • • allaboutlifechallenges.org