Surgeons at Duke University have developed a scoring system that may help predict risk of death as a result of gastric bypass surgery. The researchers say the system would both help physicians and patients make informed decisions about treatment options.
The researchers analyzed more than 2,000 gastric bypass patients' cases to create the system. They found that 1.5 percent of patients died within 90 days of surgery; they identified several factors that contributed to this outcome:
- A BMI higher than 50.
- Being male. Men were more likely to suffer from other medical conditions that heightened the surgery's risk.
- Hypertension and resulting heart disease or chronic inflammation).
- Patient was previously diagnosed with or is at an increased risk for pulmonary embolism.
- Additionally, patients over the age of 45 have been found to be at a higher risk of death in previous studies, so this factor was included in the scoring system.
Gastric bypass surgery is used to help people who are morbidly obese lose weight. Although the surgery has several variants, the basic procedure involves stapling off a large portion of the stomach and reattaching the intestine to the smaller remaining portion. Because of their decreased stomach capacity, patients are unable to eat as much food and they feel sated much faster.
Gastric bypass surgery is generally safe, according to the Duke researchers. But as with any type of surgery, there is a risk of adverse side effects or even death. The key, they said, is determining which patients are at the lowest risk.
