Gastric bypass is the most common method of all bariatric (weight loss) surgeries performed today. While this type of surgery does altar the amount of food you can eat per sitting, it has helped countless people who have struggled to lose weight and maintain those results long term. Of all the methods and techniques available in terms of bariatric surgeries, most surgeons prefer gastric bypass because it comes with the least amount of complications when compared to similar surgeries. While fewer complications are associated with gastric bypass surgery, the fact remains that it is still a major surgical procedure, and there are potential risks.

Gastric Bypass Complications

Bleeding and infection are two of the biggest complications of any surgery. Those complications unique to gastric bypass include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Bleeding stomach ulcer
- Hernia at incision site
- Low blood sugar
- Gallstones/ kidney stones
- Dehydration
- Vitamin and/or mineral deficiency
- Intolerance to certain foods

Some of the more serious gastric bypass complications include the following:

Pneumonia - Pneumonia is a common post-operative development due to the extra pressure placed on the chest and lungs.

Blood clots in legs - This complication is most likely to occur in obese people. In order to minimize the chances of developing a blood clot, support hose and walking post-operatively as soon as physically able may help minimize this risk.

Death - While death is not a common complication of gastric bypass, other contributing factors such as age, overall health and certain other medical conditions, may play a role in the success or failure of this surgery.