Comments on: death rate after surgery??

By: Merle Gregoria

Merle Gregoria — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:47:44 +0000

Actually the death rate reported by the ASBS the last time I checked was 1
in 200. The death rate however is highly individual. Some surgeons death
rates are higher than others because they take the higher risk cases — the
super morbidly obese with extreme comorbidities — that other surgeons won’t
touch. The death rate doesn’t tell the whole story about this surgery. This
surgery is ONLY done — or ONLY SHOULD BE DONE — on those who in a high
risk group — the morbidly obese (or super morbidly obese) with
co-morbidities. This group is high risk for ANY surgery they have and WLS is
no different. A lot of people throw the death rate out there in hopes of
scaring people away from surgery — however the death rate of 1 in 200 is
comparable to that of the death rate for a c-section.
Denise Rasley
mailto: drasley@…
BTC, Columbus, 10/7/98

By: Latisha Brennan

Latisha Brennan — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:55:03 +0000

Hi All,
According to my surgeon (and I’ve since heard it repeated on the local
Cincinnati news) the death rate for ANY major surgery is 1 in 200. This
includes gall bladder removal as well as RNY. The statistics are usually
given for these “combined” types of major surgery because it’s too difficult
to isolate one specific major surgery. For instance with RNY, the procedure
has changed so much over the past 20 years for statistical purposes it would
be difficult to come up with an accurate figure. Would it be for lap or
open? Would it be for all 20+ years or just the last 5 years? Also, what’s
the time frame for dying…on the table… within 3 months of the surgery..
within 6 months? All major surgery is a risk…so is obesity. They don’t
call it “morbid” obesity for nothing. Sherry

By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:39:40 +0000

One more thing, not to prattle on, but some people don’t want their
loved ones to have a procedure that they deem too risky and will try
to frighten you with ill-slanted statistics and horror stories of
people who had the surgery and then got some disease directly
related to it, etc. Believe me, I have heard some doozies!
I work in statistics and one of the phrases that we use quite a bit
is “figures lie and liars figure”. Without the data on the report–
who was studied, how many people in the study, their health problems
before during and after the surgery, their relative age, even who
sponsored the study, I would tend to think this was a scare tactic.
My reality is that I survived the surgery and the first 30 days
and the first year and a half. My health related issues since
surgery have been rare and mild, although I had some chronic issues
before surgery that disappeared in days. I recently had a throat
infection that is not related to my surgery at all, however before I

went to the hospital, while I was ill, my sister asked if I could
get my surgery reversed. Of course I could, but I never would. If
I had to have this surgery once a year to maintain the benefits I’ve
received, I would have it once a year. I know quite a few people
who feel the same way.
Good luck and gear up for the naysayers. It’s your decision. The
opposite of love is fear!
Mary