Gastric Bypass Surgery
...c technique, there is also a higher frequency of bowel obstruction, gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage, and narrowing of the stomach patch that is created”(Podnos). Ten to twenty percent of patients who have gastric bypass surgery must have follow up surgery to correct complications. This statistic does not even include the amount of plastic surgery to remove the excess skin. Gastric bypass surgery is also very expensive, usually costing somewhere between fifteen thousand dollars and twenty thousand dollars, and is only partially covered by select heath insurance plans. Finally, the ultimate risk of having gastric bypass surgery is the risk of failure. Lost weight may be regained, staples can readjust themselves, and some patients can even eat more than they are supposed to despite the pain it causes. Still I question, are the benefits provided by gastric bypass surgery greater than the risks? There are many ways to reduce the risks to minimal numbers. The most simple and obvious risk reducer is choosing one’s surgeon well. There are several easy ways to reduce the risk of medical complications. One way is to know what complications that one needs to watch. A simple multivitamin can easily reduce the risk of heart problems, infections, vitamin deficiency, and anemia. Taking salt tablets also reduces the risk of the gallstones and ulcers that sometimes accompany obese people after surgery. “The immediate risks associated with gastric bypass surgery to treat obesity might be higher than we previously realized, but the long-term benefits of gastric bypass surgery in preventing death will outweigh those risks” (Flum). I believe that despite the risks involved, gastric bypass surgery offers so many benefits that people should decide to have the surgery. “Obesity substantially increases the risk of respiratory failure, heart attacks, wound infections, hernias (almost every complication possible including death)” (Gawande 504). When comparing obese people who have undergone gastric bypass surgery with those who have not, the long-term risk of death is eighty-nine percent lower for those who underwent the surgery than those who did not (Flum). Not only does gastric bypass surgery reduce the risk of death, it also reduces the risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, mental disorders, and many other medical complications. Medical aspects are only one of three main advantages. The second advantage is how a patient is viewed by society. Right after surgery, most patients lose weight quickly and continue to lose it for eighteen and twenty-four months after the surgery. Most patients maintain a weight loss of at least one hundred pounds (Flum). Society considers obese people failures and those lacking self-control. Very rarely is this misconception true; however, think about the positive social aspects that can arise from losing two-thirds to nine-tenths of one’s excess body fat. A person can be much more confident. In fact, divorce rates increase significantly after surgery (Podnos). The third main advantage is not only the reduction of the risk of death, but also a chance for a new way of living. People who were bedridden before the surgery can now do new things like get a job, go to the amusement park, and participate in recreationa...