| With her hair
falling out, skin flaking, muscles wasted and frequent attacks of
diarrhea and vomiting, Linda Culpepper was admitted to the hospital
and immediately fed intravenously. Her diagnosis was a condition called
life-threatening malnutrition, caused by complications from a past
weight-loss surgery, which involved closing a majority of her stomach
and shortening her small intestine.
The increasing numbers of obese people have driven up the rates
for weight-loss surgeries.
Soaring Weight-Loss Operation Statistics:
- In the United States, 20,000 weight-loss operations were performed
in 1995
- In 2003, 103,000 were performed
- This year, 144,00 are predicted to be performed
Researchers expressed their concerns over the operations being
performed on children and teenagers and the increasing number of
doctors encouraging their patients to pack on more pounds, so they
could qualify for the surgery. Researchers also noted one of the
biggest issues surrounded the number of doctors who were not properly
trained and performing the surgeries.
Because of the high risks and increased costs, some insurers made
the decision to stop covering the operations. The average cost of
the surgery is $30,000, however that cost could rise if serious
complications surfaced during the surgery.
Also, due to the drastic changes in the digestive system, most
patients required heavy counseling on how to eat properly and which
vitamins to take in order to avoid malnutrition or gaining the weight
back.
Reported Risks of the Surgery:
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Bowel obstructions
- Hernias
- Severe infections caused from leaks in the abdomen area where
the stomach and small intestines had been cut open and sealed
or reconnected
Research showed that almost 30 percent of the people who had undergone
the surgery experienced nutritional deficiencies that led to health
conditions such as anemia and bone loss.
Participants of a study included 66,000 obese people, 3,328 of
that number had bariatric surgery during the years of 1987 to 2001.
The study revealed that 30 days following the surgery, the death
rate reached 1.9 percent.
It was also discovered that those who did survive the surgery lived
longer than the severely obese people who did not have the surgery.
Experts stated that most people believed the gastric bypass surgery
was the solution to their weight-loss problems, however doctors
warned patients who did not practice self-control that they would
gain back all the weight in the next 20 years.
New
York Times May 4, 2004
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