Some experts say that weight-loss surgery creates more problems than it solves. Among the critics is Jennifer Mann, an eating disorder specialist in Los Angeles who has treated several clients who have had gastric bypass surgery.
"I've seen massive infection," she said. "I've seen people hospitalized for malnutrition. I've seen people obsessed with food. I've seen people unable to stop vomiting. I've seen people develop massive eating disorders. I've seen people who are terrified of gaining weight. Terrified. It runs their lives."
According to Mann, gastric bypass surgery is a bad idea for most people. "This is a permanent prison, in a sense," she said. "You are choosing to make your stomach a different size. And while it is possible to go back, it is very rare and very risky. This is permanent."
Experts say there's little data available on how the procedure affects patients 10 years afterward. Even Dr. Mathias Fobi, a respected bariatric surgeon, doesn't deny that the surgery carries risks and that it may cause difficulties later.
Dr Mason, the surgeon who invented the gastric bypass in the 1960's (no it's not a new surgery as some would have us believe) was even more explicit about the dangers of bariatric surgery. He wrote in an article in 1999 that "For the vast majority of patients today, there is no operation that will control weight to a "normal" level without introducing risks and side effects that over a lifetime may raise questions about its use for surgical treatment of obesity."
Dr Edward Livingston, director of the University of California At Los Angeles Bariatric Surgery program wrote: "By doing this surgery, you're creating a medical disease in the body. Before you expose someone to that risk, you have to be absolutely sure that you are treating an illness which is equal to or greater than the one you are creating." Ref: p 175, Self Magazine, April 2001 "Would you have surgery to lose weight?"
Dr Ross Fox tells his patients that his procedure, a distal RNY (gastric bypass) will 'cripple' their digestive tracts.
Dr Fobi and other bariatric surgeons market the procedure via commercials, TV shows which play like infomercials, professionally done websites and glitzy magazine ads. Word of mouth is also an important way of marketing the surgery however, few take notice that all the poster children for WLS are less than 3 years out from surgery.
The sales pitch is working. Gastric bypass surgery can cost patients - and their insurance companies - as much as $45,000, but that price tag isn't scaring everyone away. In 2000, an estimated 20,000 people had Weight Loss surgery and current estimations put the numbers as high as 45,000 procedures performed in 2001. Unfortunately, a study in Europe last year suggests that 80 percent or more of Weight Loss Surgery patients get their information from the ads and poster children rather than from their surgeons or medical providers.
What is totally ignored by the ads and glowing testimonials from newly post ops is the fact that one simply cannot FIND folks with gastric bypasses who were operated on 20 years ago or more despite the fact that this procedure is the most popular in the United States (the procedure which Carnie Wilson had). I could only find a handful of people who are 10-15 years out from surgery and all of them I've seen are very ill with multiple problems of osteoporosis, severe joint disease, and symptoms of long term malnutrition including anemia and brain damage. Some of them have regained their weight again.
