Question:
Have there been fewer deaths from WLS in 2003 then is past years?

Hi all... I just finished reading the memorial page. Something I have been working up the nerve to do for over 3 months now. While I was reading it I noticed that all of the deaths that are listed occurred in 2002 or before that. My question to all of you is..... Are there actually fewer deaths from WLS now then there were in past years? I am still pre-op and the memorial page left me with mixed emotions....fear, saddness, and second thoughts. But at the same time I have some positive feelings since here we are in May 2003, and I did not notice any deaths that have occurred this year. I know that our members on ObesityHelp are just a small percentage of WLS patients. I was just wondering if the dates on the memorial page reflect the fact that WLS is getting less risky?    — Maria S (posted on May 13, 2003)

May 12, 2003
No, this site does not reflect all the deaths. Sometimes someone dies and it is not posted on the memorial page for one reason or another. Usually a friend of the person has to turn it in and it is not frequently updated. As far as deaths there was one just a couple of days ago. A young lady named Kelly Fuller that died from a clot. Had surgery on the 29th of April and died on about the 10th of May. It was posted on the message board and I have seen a few more this year that are not listed on the memorial page. However, I do believe that it is getting safer as the docs are learning more but blood clots are beyond anyone's control usually.
   — Delores S.

May 12, 2003
It's my own lil opinion that this surgery will not become "safer" until insurance companies stop making people with a BMI of 40 or higher jump through three million hoops and wait forever to get the help they need. The longer one waits, the worse their health becomes, the riskier this (or ANY) surgical procedure becomes. That said, I agree with Delores that drs are becoming much more knowledgable and in that aspect the surgery is safer.
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 12, 2003
Something else to keep in mind to is that not all of those on the memorial page died as the result of WLS. I know there is one who died as a result of a car accident, at least one who died while waiting on insurance approval for the surgery. The memorial page is not intended to be a reflection on the actual number of deaths due to WLS, it's a page for members of this forum who have died, regardless of the cause.
   — Carolyn M.

May 13, 2003
From what I've read many deaths occur in hospitals that are not equipped to handle WLS. I had my surgery at VISTA MEDICAL CENTER in Pasadena, TX. Vista only handles WLS and back surgery and NOTHING ELSE.
   — Wanda R.

May 13, 2003
Rosalinda, it would be interesting to see the stats from each year and see if WLS is improving and there are fewer deaths. But in many cases, WLS isn't the cause of death, it's that people who are so obese or have diabetes would have trouble with ANY surgery, so it's really hard to decipher whether a surgery caused the death or the person's illnesses themselves. So WLS will also be considered more risky than many otehr surgeries simply b/c of the patients its performed on. But the year isn't over yet, so there may be more added to the memorial, although I pray that isn't the case.
   — Lezlie Y.