Benefits & Risks of Bariatric Surgery

If you’re severely obese, and repeated dieting and exercise just haven’t worked, a bariatric (weight loss) procedure may be the solution for you.

At the Sansum Clinic Bariatric Surgery Center our board-certified surgeon, Marc Zerey, MD, performs a full range of laparoscopic weight-loss procedures, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, LAP-BAND® and more. For you, these minimally invasive techniques may offer a host of benefits, including less pain and scarring, fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery, 

Benefits of Bariatric Surgery

Weight loss surgery can significantly improve your health and free you to pursue the active and happy life you deserve. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) some of the benefits may include:

• Significant and lasting weight loss: By changing your gastrointestinal anatomy, certain bariatric procedures allow for significantly less food consumption, and affect changes in your intestinal hormones that reduce hunger and increase your feeling of fullness. Also, studies show that more than 90 percent of bariatric patients are able to maintain a long-term weight loss of 50 percent excess body weight or more, when combined with dietary and lifestyle changes.
• Improves or resolves related conditions: Bariatric surgery has proven to significantly improve diseases caused or worsened by obesity, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea, arthritis, asthma, acid reflux and more. It has also shown to drastically reduce—or even eliminate—type II diabetes.
• Longer life: Several large studies of severe obesity people have found that those who have had bariatric surgery have a significantly lower risk of death than those who have note. The exceptionally low mortality rate is truly remarkable, considering that most patients affected by severe obesity are in poor health and have one or more life-threatening diseases at the time of their surgery.
• Happier, healthier you: Significant weight loss from bariatric surgery brings more than just physical transformation. Studies have shown that self-esteem, work, social interactions and sexual function all improve. Singlehood is significantly reduced, as is unemployment, disability, depression and anxiety. All paving the way for a new you.

Patient results may vary. Consult your physician about the benefits and risks of any surgical procedure or treatment.

Risks of Bariatric Surgery

As with any major surgery, weight loss procedures carry some risks. Dr. Zerey and the dedicated bariatric care team will carefully review all potential risks well before your surgery. Common complications include pneumonia, blood clots, infection, bleeding, leaking at staple lines, ulcers, hernia and gallstones. Generally, the risks associated with weight loss surgery are significantly less than the risk of remaining morbidly obese. And you can take comfort knowing we’ve been designated a national Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®, for consistently delivering safe, effective and evidence-based care.

For more information, see Bariatric Surgery Facts & FAQs.

Could Weight Loss Surgery Work for You?

For in-depth, in-person education on the benefits and risks of each bariatric procedure, join us for a free orientation hosted by Dr. Zerey. Call (805) 898-3472 or save your spot at an upcoming weight-loss surgery orientation.