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People 65 years of age or older may have to think twice about having weight loss surgery, according to a surgeon who performs this operation in the USA.
In a review of more than 25,000 weight-loss operations, also referred to as bariatric surgery, , Dr. Edward H. Livingston and his colleague Joshua Langert found that complications rose as people aged, and showed a "steep increase" after age 65.
Livingston and Langert used length of hospital stay as a marker for surgical complications, which can include leakage of the stitches used to link together sections of the stomach or intestine; pneumonia; and a type of blood infection known as sepsis.
Among the 1 percent of patients in the study who were 65 or older, 20 percent spent a week or longer in the hospital after surgery, indicating that they experienced adverse events, while 3.2 percent died in the hospital. The researchers also found a greater risk of complications among men, people with electrolyte imbalances, and those with diabetes.
Ironically, Livingston noted, people with obesity-related conditions have the most to gain from bariatric surgery, but also are more likely to suffer complications from the surgery.
For further information, please see our section on obesity surgery, which has further information on gastric bands and weight loss surgery.
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