Is gastric bypass surgery safe for people that are obese?

Yes: Yes. Make sure your surgeon is certified by the respective board of bariatric surgery and make sure the surgery is performed at a center of excellence for bariatric surgery.

Could be: The surgery can be very difficult and has the potential to be fraught with complications. It is well known that the greater the experience of the surgeon the better the results will be. However, this must be done with the cooperation of the patient. The patient can "out eat" the anastomosis and not lose weight. Complications when they do occur, can be very significant, even life-threatening.

Yes: The laparoscopic approach has greatly reduced the risks associated with gastric bypass. In experienced hands, the 30 day mortality rate is around 0.13%, with a leak rate less than 0.2%. Overall, the complication rate is lower than many other procedures such as hip or colon surgery. There can be significant nutritional deficiencies, which can be minimized by regular follow-up with your surgeon.

Yes: The surgery is very safe especially when done as part of a well run bariatrics program. Weight loss results are excellent.

Safety bypass surger: Gastric bypass surgery has been around for over 40 years. It has been performed laparoscopically, meaning through small incisions, for over 20 years. It is currently, statistically, safer than heart operations, safer than hip operations, and only a few percentage points worse in safety profile than a gallbladder operation. Studies show its safer to have surgery than to be obese after 10 years.