I just read an interesting article on weight loss surgery. A new report is out from HealthGrades regarding the complication rate at top rated hospitals and facilities versus poorly rated hospitals. This study was specifically looking at wls. Patients treated at the higher rated facilities have a 65% less chance of complications.
I found several things interesting. The rate of complications has risen 6% from 2004 to 2006. Wow, I had no idea it was rising. Next, the study says that the greatest rise of complications is in gastric bypass with a rise of 17%. Complications from the less invasive laparoscopic surgeries like lap band and sleeve gastrectomy rose by a little over 1%. It also notes that the total number of surgeries has risen 1,431% (that's not a typo) in the last decade. Over 250,000 are done annually.
I won't try to rewrite the report for them, if you want to read the whole thing click here.
1 comments:
The report said:
"Complications associated with bariatric surgery include heart attack, kidney failure, stroke and post-surgical infections."
Now that's really impressive. Aren't those the same things that people would hope to avoid by having these major procedures?
Lifestyle changes are slower than quick surgical fixes, but they remain my choice, even though the weight loss is a constant struggle. The surgeon's skill with a knife may offer hope for some people, but I think I'll stick with my careful use of my fork and spoon instead of her knife.
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