Benefits and Risks

The benefits to bariatric surgery are many; the risks, few.

The benefits?

For one, you would breathe better. You would have more confidence. You’d be able to enjoy social occasions, climb the stairs to your seat at a baseball stadium, sit comfortably in a movie theater, and take a long plane trip. You’ll sleep well, again. You’ll have the energy and the stamina to keep up with your children, and later on, with your grandchildren. You’ll be able to live longer – and better.

And if you have a secondary medical condition, like diabetes or shortness of breath, chances are that within a year after your surgery, you will either be better or you will be well.

For more than 800 Bariatric surgery patients, our cure rates after one year are:




Is bariatric surgery reasonably safe? Yes.  Our outcomes in Sleeve Gastric Bypass (also referred to as Mini-Gastric Bypass) procedures are better than the national average – and the overall risks are similar to what patients who undergo heart and hip surgery face.

• Average hospital stay = 1.2 days
• Mortality rate = .02 percent
• Patients requiring blood transfusion = .4 percent
• Patients requiring ICU stay = .2 percent
• Patients with pulmonary embolus = .2 percent
• Patients with anastomotic leak = .9 percent

The disadvantages and risks? With gastric banding, there is a somewhat elevated risk of infection and there is more follow-up required. Your weight loss may be slower, which would mean that your other health problems, such as diabetes, might not be treated as quickly.

As with any bariatric surgery, you could face serious health problems, including malnutrition and protein and vitamin deficiencies that, if left untreated, could lead to serious health consequences, including blindness and death.

That’s why it’s crucial to follow your doctor’s directions to the letter on what you should eat and what supplements and medications you should take, every day, for the rest of your life.

There’s no way to suggest which procedure is right for your particular case. That’s a decision that only you and your physician can make.

But we can say that bariatric surgery is a tool that you can use to improve your appearance and your health. How well that tool works is up to you.