Weight Loss Risks

Hi all I am just wondering if when you started the process people kept saying that this weight loss surgery is as risky as open heart surgery?, its got me kinda freaked. I have gotten to a point where I cut my cal to 1800 per day and working out 3 times a week and talking to someone about my issues that is causing a weight loss so this is the only tool I haven't used.

TIA

Kat

I've never heard anyone say that. Who is telling you that? Medical professionals? Or random people in your life?

I have friends saying that they read it one the internet. I know surgery has risks but that is with any surgery O just thought that comparison was a little extreme but i am still learning things

I'd recommend taking things your friends "find on the internet" with lots of grains of salt. :)

It's a running joke - "if it's on the internet, it must be true!" You need to research valid websites, get information from medical professionals, talk to people who have had the surgery. Remember, even people as far out there as "flat-earthers" have a presence on the internet. Doesn't make the earth flat. When you are dealing with a condition that brings with it risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc., and all of the related conditions like blindness, stroke, heart failure, etc., surgery can be a lifesaving event, even with the inherent risks. And the mortality rate for bariatric surgery is less than 1%, even at a year out.

I think that would be incorrect. So many of these surgeries are done around the world every year that they are cut and dried down to a science.

You are more likely to die in a car accident one mile from your home than you are from weight loss surgery.

Any you know what, open heart surgery is not all that risky anymore,actually.

That makes sense, i guess it os just wherd you get this information

Some people are secretly anti-surgery for moral reasons. They're likely to pull these sorts of statistics out of nowhere to scare and/or shame you.

This is a great forum to use to get information that doesn't come from friends relying on Dr. Google - you can use the search bar for specific topics (complications is a good one) and then take a look at all the discussion groups for different levels of detail. Good luck with your research!

Hello kitten992107:

According to a quick search of the medical literature, the 30-day and 1-year mortality rates for laparoscopic bariatric surgery are significantly lower than those for open heart surgery.

The 30-day mortality rate for laparoscopic RNY is 0.13% and for laparoscopic VSG is 0.06%. Whereas, the 30-day mortality for open heart surgery is approximately 3%.

The 1-year mortality rate for laparoscopic RNY is 0.23% and for laparoscopic VSG is 0.11%. For open heart surgery, the 1-year mortality rate approaches 6%.

It is evident that the 30-day and 1-year mortality rates for open heart surgery are much higher than those for both types of laparoscopic bariatric surgeries. Also interesting to note is that the risk of mortality at 1 year is approximately twice the risk of 30-day mortality for each of the 3 types of surgery.

Also, keep in mind that these mortality rates were determined using a very wide and varied population of people. One's individual mortality from a surgical procedure depends on many different personal factors and can vary from the reported mortality rates.

I hope you find this information helpful.