How to Decide if the Bariatric Surgery Risks are Worth It

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Bariatric surgery is life-changing in so many ways. It’s not just how you eat and live, but it can also change how you think and act. However, as with any surgical procedure, there are certain risks involved. Some can cause life-long issues. While this may deter some from having bariatric surgery, you should also consider the risks of obesity. Between your doctor, your significant other and, most importantly, yourself, you’ll need to determine which you’d rather risk. For me, it was worth the risk. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. While there are bariatric surgery risks, the benefits of losing weight may be worth it.

Any Surgical Procedure Carries Risks

Surgical procedures of any kind carry some sort of risk. Bariatric surgery is no different. After all, your body is being cut open, and a foreign object is being inserted to manipulate your organs and adjust your digestive tract. There are some obvious risks to undergoing any type of procedure. However, bariatric surgery isn’t an exception. Instead, everything you do carries some sort of risk, whether it’s driving your car to work or walking across the street. You put yourself at risk every day. It’s just that you’ve determined that the risks are worth the activity.

Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic Web site states that the risks of gastric bypass surgery, one of the most common types of bariatric surgery, are nearly the same as the risks of gallbladder-removal surgery or a hysterectomy. In the first 30-days after gastric bypass surgery, the complications rate was 3.4 percent, around the same as the other two surgeries mentioned. The study’s co-author, Dr. Ali Aminian, states that gastric bypass surgery is as safe or even safer than some of the other more common types of surgery.

Bariatric Surgery Risks

So while the Cleveland Clinic deems gastric bypass surgery as safe, there are still bariatric surgery risks involved. If you are considering bariatric surgery, you should be aware of some of these risks. According to UPMC, some of the bariatric surgery risks include the following:

• Acid reflux
• Chronic nausea and vomiting
• Food aversion
• Infection
• Obstruction
• Dumping syndrome
• Low blood sugar
• Malnutrition
• Ulcers
• Hernias

There are more risks, and each specific surgery may carry additional risks. For example, I’ve heard a lot of sleeve patients complain of acid reflux, but dumping syndrome seems to be more common in gastric bypass patients. I’m in several bariatric surgery support groups on Facebook, and I’ve seen stories of people who have suffered from many of these risks and side effects. One of the big ones is low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. This effect happens when your blood sugar drops dangerously low, possibly even causing you to pass out.

UMPC continues to state that you can reduce your bariatric surgery risks by losing weight, exercising more and quitting smoking. These are all steps you should be taking prior to bariatric surgery anyway. They are lifelong habits that will set you up for success.

RELATED CONTENT: Want to learn the 10 changes you need to make in your life to be successful with bariatric surgery? Get our free download here!

I should also note that sometimes you experience these side effects immediately after surgery for the first few days, but then they go away. Once your body gets over the shock of surgery, and as your digestive tract starts healing, your body balances out and starts to adapt to its new system.

Risks of Obesity

I know that the bariatric surgery risks I mentioned above sound a little scary. It may put you off from wanting to have surgery. I completely understand. You are thinking of your family and what they’d do if something happened to you because of the surgery. However, I also urge you to think about what will happen to you if you continue to be obese. What diseases are you going to develop? How much longer is your body going to hold out carrying all that extra weight? What is your quality of life going to be like?

Medical News Today has a great article that describes the bariatric surgery risks and if they outweigh the benefits. One of the points they make in this article is that obesity is linked to some pretty tough diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, poor quality of life and even depression. Take a look at your life now. Are there somethings you’re missing out on because of your weight? How much more will you miss out on if you continue to gain weight? You wouldn’t be considering bariatric surgery if you hadn’t already tried every other diet out there. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity, according to a Harvard Medical School publication entitled, “Lose Weight and Keep It Off: Smart Approaches to Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight.”

Determine What You’d Rather Risk

After you’ve done your bariatric surgery research, you need to decide if its right for you. This decision isn’t one you should take lightly. In fact, I want you to consider the possibility of some of the risks. Is it worth it for you to lose weight? I know that your reasons for losing weight are more than just appearance. You’re scared about what will happen if you don’t lose weight. You want to dance with your children at their weddings and hold your grandkids someday. You are afraid that your weight is going to prevent that from happening.

So you need to decide what you’d rather risk: some of the possible side effects of bariatric surgery or having a limited life because of your weight. Not only will excess weight take years off of your life, but it’s also going to take the quality of life away from you. Think of all the things you can’t do because of your weight. Simple things, like fitting in a booth at a restaurant or a seat at a movie theater, are ones smaller people take for granted. You know how embarrassing it is to go to a restaurant and pray for a table because you know you won’t fit into a booth. Bariatric surgery has so many benefits, beyond just the physical appearance. You get quality of life back. For me, it was worth the risk.

Deciding I Was Worth It

Let me tell you a little bit about my story and how I decided the bariatric surgery risks were worth it to me. When I decided to get bariatric surgery, I was at a point in my life where I was completely unhealthy, unhappy and ready to give up. I was 428 pounds, suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, pre-diabetes and acid reflux. I had no dreams, no hope and no goals. At the time, I was also married to a man who emotionally and financially abused me. I couldn’t see it at the time because I had no self-worth. I tried to make some changes to our dire financial situation, but anytime I would make any progress, he would push me 10 steps back. It was a really dark time for me.

I finally figured out that the only person I could change was myself. So, I decided to start researching bariatric surgery. My aunt had a sleeve procedure a few months prior and was doing really well. I went to my bariatric surgery information session in November of 2017. From there, I set up an appointment to meet with the surgeon, but I left with a strange feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time – hope. Hope that I could have a future. Hope that things could be different. I had hope that I didn’t have to be obese anymore.

Pre-Op Journey

In the following seven months leading to surgery, I went through so many life-changing events: a stomach ulcer diagnosis, a confession from my husband that he was involved in illegal activity, kicking out my husband and filing for divorce, moving, opening up new accounts in my name alone, dealing with the mountain of debt from our marriage and basically just keeping my head above water. It was a really rough time.

Knowing I was prone to emotional eating, I decided that if what my ex-husband did to me caused me to emotionally eat, and I get off track with my weight loss, I would postpone surgery. However, I refused to let him take one more thing away from me. So I stay focused, and through all of that drama and big life-circumstances, I dropped 80 pounds prior to surgery.

RELATED CONTENT: Want to learn the 10 changes you need to make in your life to be successful with bariatric surgery? Get our free download here!

Post-Op Journey

You’d think after surgery, my life would have calmed down. Little did I know, I would still have some major life changes. I had my vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery on June 18, 2018 (and yes I celebrate this day now as my second birthday)! In the months following surgery, my uncle passed, I lost my job of seven years due to layoffs, started a long-distance relationship with a new man and had my identity stolen. While I could look at 2018 as a year from hell, I tend to look at it as my rebuilding year. My whole world literally fell apart that year, but I slowly built it back up.

Life Now

Now, I’m over 18 months post-op, and down a total of 235 pounds. I can honestly say I am so thankful for going through what I went through. If I hadn’t experienced so much pain and so much heartache, I would never have found my inner self-worth. My life is truly incredible now. I can do so many more things than I ever could before. I know my self-worth now, and I don’t let anyone treat me like less than I deserve.

My only regret is that I didn’t have surgery sooner. When I lost weight, I found myself. I gained life. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, and I am determined to live each day as if it were my last. I can run and play with my nieces and nephews. I can ride amusement park rides, fit into any space I want, wear clothing from a “normal-size” store. Most importantly, my PCOS, OSA and pre-diabetes are completely gone. There is no sign of those diseases at all anymore. I am so happy, I could cry tears of joy.

Bariatric Surgery Risks Are Worth It

As with any surgical procedure, one must consider the risks involved. Some sound scary and could affect the rest of your life. However, is it riskier to stay obese? Are you going to be able to lose weight with diet and exercise alone? My guess is that you’ve probably already tried and couldn’t do it before. Bariatric surgery could be the answer. You should carefully weigh your options. For me, my life is completely transformed because of surgery. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner! While there are bariatric surgery risks, the benefits to losing weight may be worth it.

If this article gave you some great ideas to incorporate into your life, just imagine what other amazing strategies I have for you! Share this post on social media by clicking one of the sharing buttons, and don’t forget to join my email list! You’ll be the first to get updates, access to my new products and lots of tips, inspiration and motivation to help in your bariatric surgery journey. Just for joining, I’ll send you a free eBook with the 10 Habits to Change Before Bariatric Surgery, as well as some other pretty awesome goodies to keep you motivated. Join today!

In Summary

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