Obesity surgery is "dangerous" for older people
23rd November 2006
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.
Obesity Surgery Dangerous for Older Adults 
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