Outcomes after Gastric Bypass Surgery

Read below about outcomes after Gastric Bypass Surgery: weight loss, resolution of obesity related medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, complications, and impact on length of life.

Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery
Weight loss after Gastric Bypass surgery usually occurs rapidly over 1-1.5 years. Most studies show that patients lose approximately 67-75% of their excess weight over this time period. Studies also show that patients tend to maintain the majority of this weight loss long-term.

Our Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass weight loss results are better than these averages. Our patients average 73% excess weight loss (EWL) 1 year after surgery and 79% EWL 2 years after surgery. At 5 years after surgery our patients average 75% EWL (see table below).

Time After Surgery	Average Weight Loss (% of excess weight)
1 month	20%
3 months	38%
6 months	57%
9 months	66%
12 months	73%
15 months	75%
18 months	79%
24 months	79%
3 years	76%
5 years	75%

We calculated our results from the first 800 patients who underwent Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery by Dr. Oliak after his fellowship training.

It is important to remember that these weight loss results are averages. Patients can lose more or less weight than the average. Good eating habits and exercise are extremely important to maximize weight loss after surgery. Patients who commit themselves to good eating habits and regular exercise after surgery generally lose more weight than those who don't.

Resolution of Medical Conditions After Gastric Bypass Surgery
Many medical problems are associated with obesity. Examples include diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, joint pain and arthritis, heartburn, asthma, depression, infertility, urinary stress incontinence, lower extremity swelling and headaches. Studies show that all tend to either resolve or improve with weight loss after Gastric Bypass surgery.

The response of medical conditions to surgery in our Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass patients is shown in the table below.

Medical Condition	Resolved	Improved	Unchanged or Worse
Diabetes	73%	27%	0%
Sleep Apnea	92%	6%	2%
Hypertension	71%	20%	9%
Hyperlipidemia	73%	27%	0%
Joint Pains	59%	32%	9%
GERD	95%	2%	2%
Depression	38%	23%	38%
Asthma	62%	29%	10%

We calculated our results from the first 800 patients who underwent Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery by Dr. Oliak after his fellowship training.

Perhaps most striking is the effect of Gastric Bypass surgery on diabetes. Multiple studies have shown that type 2 diabetes completely resolves in the majority of people after Gastric Bypass surgery. Usually blood sugars normalize within days of surgery, allowing patients to stop their diabetes medications before they are discharged from the hospital. Of our patients with Type 2 Diabetes, 73% were able to discontinue all diabetes medications and maintain normal blood sugars. To watch the recent 60 Minutes segment on the impact Gastric Bypass surgery has on type 2 diabetes, follow the link on our Gastric Bypass Surgery Links page.

Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery on Lifespan
There have been five published studies (including the long awaited Swedish Obesity Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last August) showing decreased mortality in patients who have undergone weight loss surgery compared to patients who have not undergone surgery. The reason for this is the vast improvement in obesity related medical problems that occurs after weight loss surgery. One study showed an remarkable 90% decrease in mortality for patients with diabetes who have had weight loss surgery. These impressive findings strongly support the use of weight loss surgery for obesity.

Complications After Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric Bypass is major surgery with the potential for serious complications. We pride ourselves on achieving low complication rates. Our complication rates are lower than the published benchmark rates (see table below).

Major Complications - Major complications are complications that can result in death or require a significantly prolonged hospital stay or another operation. They generally occur within 30 days of surgery. The two most feared complications following Gastric Bypass surgery are leak and pulmonary embolism because both can potentially cause death. Bowel obstructions and bleeding may result in the need for a repeat operation but are generally less dangerous than leak and pulmonary embolism.

See the table below for our major complication rates. Note our mortality and leak rates are lower than the published benchmarks.

Major Complications	Our Results (800 patients)	Other Good Studies
Death^	0.1%	0.5%
Leak	0%	1-2%
Pulmonary Embolism	0.4%	0-2%
Bowel Obstruction or Internal Hernia	2.5%	1-3.8%
Reoperation*	1.3%	2.5-7.6%
Bleeding**	0.4%	0-1.3%

^ Single mortality from pulmonary embolism 2 weeks after surgery
* Reoperation within 1 month of surgery
**Bleeding requiring an operation

The results reported in the right column above were taken from published studies done by experienced laparoscopic surgeons with low complication rates. Remember - less experienced surgeons may have much higher complication rates. For example, one author reported a leak rate of 10% in his first 50 operations.

Other Complications (Minor and Late) - Other complications that can occur after laparoscopic bariatric surgery tend to be less serious. Examples include bleeding not requiring an operation, strictures, ulcers, wound infections, dehydration, nausea, urinary tract infections, gallstones, and nutritional deficiencies.

Learn More about Gastric Bypass Surgery!
To learn more we encourage you to attend a free, no-obligation informational seminar with Dr. Oliak - call our Orange County office at 714-582-2530 or send us an inquiry form today!