Choosing Your Gastric Bypass Surgeon
Much of the risk of death within 30 days after the surgery is attributed to the level of experience of the surgeon. It takes about 100 cases for a surgeon to be considered very experienced. The average risk of dying within 30 days after surgery is 1 in 50. Amongst experienced surgeons the risk is between 1 in 200 and 1 in 500.
There is a learning curve for surgeons who perform gastric bypass surgery. Once surgeons have gained experience and performed more than 20 procedures, the short-term risk of death is much lower and closer to 0.5%. The competency and experience of the surgeon can help reduce risks and mediate the possible complications associated with gastric bypass surgery.
Before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, you should consider the track record of your surgeon and have the procedure done at a center that has experience with doing the operation. The initial risk of death from the operation seems to be much higher in inexperienced surgical hands. However, the benefits of a gastric bypass surgery outweigh the risks.