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Any type of surgery comes with a certain degree of risk, and weight loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) is no different. But what are the potential complications of weight loss surgery, and how common are they? We will attempt to answer these questions here.

What is Weight Loss Surgery?
Before we talk about the possible complications of weight loss surgery, we need to define what this type of surgery entails, just so we are on the same page. Simply stated, bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery both refer to the same thing -- various types of surgery intended to help obese patients lose weight.

In her book The Patients Guide to Weight Loss Surgery, author April Hochstrasser defines bariatric surgery as "surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help people lose weight by altering the normal digestive process."

Complications of Weight Loss Surgery
The complications associated with weight loss surgery vary, based on the type of surgery being performed. And, of course, the potential risks and complications of general surgery apply here as well.

Potential complications of general surgery:

• Respiratory problems
• Risk of infection (from incision area)
• Excessive bleeding (internal or external)
• Allergic reaction to medicines
• Reactions to anesthesia

Potential complications of weight loss surgery:

• Leaking of stomach acid or bacteria into the abdominal cavity
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies as a result of malabsorption
• Hernia in the abdominal wall (with gastric bypass)
• Dumping syndrome (heart palpitations, nausea, sweating, etc.)

The major risks of weight loss surgery:

• Leaking of stomach content into other areas
• Blood clots
• Respiratory failure

According to the University of Iowa report "Mortality in Obesity Surgery," the majority of patients who die within a month of weight loss surgery suffer one of the three major complications above.

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Brandon Cornett is the publisher of the Bariatric Learning Center. To learn more about the possible complications of bariatric surgery, and much more on this topic, visit the Learning Center at http://www.bariatriclearningcenter.com