Weight-Loss Surgery: Risks and Benefits

More and more people are going under the knife to drop weight. As its popularity soars, new research reveals unexpected benefits – as well as some surprising risks. If you are considering an operation, here’s what you can expect:

Risks:

• Brain:
Bariatric surgery can lead to confusion, hallucinations, and other neurological symptoms, that result due to poor absorption of vitamins. To prevent these problems, many patients need to take daily supplements for life.

• Hair:
The first few months of rapid weight loss can cause thinning of hair or hair loss, in addition to dry skin and flu-like aches and pains.

• Liver:
People get drunk faster after surgery and need to restrict their alcohol intake.

• Legs/Feet:
Vitamin deficiencies can also cause weakness, numbness and pain in limbs.

Benefits:

• Throat:
Overeating or eating fast after bariatric surgery can cause vomiting and pain in the chest, but the procedure however, reduces chronic heartburn.

• Heart:
Heart attack risks among bariatric surgery patients reduce from 37 percent to 18 percent. Also, diabetes is often improved or reversed as blood pressure and insulindefine response improve.

• Lungs:
Patients suffering from sleep apnea, asthma, or other breathing disorders may notice improvement or complete recovery.

• Waistline:
All patients lose weight after surgery.

• Bladderdefine:
Surgery alleviates stress urinary incontinence in 82 percent patients.

• Knees:
Weight loss means less joint pain and a reduced risk of arthritis.