Weight Loss Surgery: How To Predict Your Risk Of Death
Duke University surgeon Eric DeMaria, MD, has developed a 5-step scoring system to predict your risk of dying from weight loss surgery.
A new study of over 4400 bariatric surgery patients supports his system.
To determine your score, the doctors add up the number of risk factors you have:
- Body-Mass Index (BMI) Of More Than 50
- Male Gender
- Over 45 Years Old
- High Blood Pressure
- Pulmonary Embolism (Blood Clot In Lungs) Risk
If you score zero or one, you’re at low risk of dying from the surgery. Two or 3 is medium-risk. Four or 5 is highest risk.
This may help you and your doctor to determine if weight loss surgery is too risky for you.
For some patients, it may simply mean you have to reduce some risk factors before undergoing surgery.
For other patients, it may tell you that delaying surgery could put you at a higher risk of death.
But that’s ultimately for you and your doctor to decide.
Technorati Tags: lose weight, weight loss, weight loss surgery, bariatric surgery
April 28th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
My risk is low. But I don’t want to have surgery so I guess it doesn’t matter.
April 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I would think that most people who need to have surgery have at least the BMI and high blood pressure risk factors. So the best candidates are probably young, overweight women. That’s scary.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I wasn’t sure what you meant when you said delaying surgery could put you at a higher risk of death. But then I thought maybe you’ll get older and get the risk factor of being over 45 or you’ll gain more weight and get a higher BMI or you’ll develop high blood pressure or blood clots.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I don’t like those risk factors. I’ll stick with dieting and exercise.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
I think too many people have surgery cuz they just don’t want the hassle of dieting and exercise. Yeah, it’s a lot of work but surgery has a lot of risks even if you don’t have those risk factors you listed. I think surgery should always be a last resort.
April 29th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
4400 surgery patients? That’s a lot of people having surgery for weight issues. How did we get to this point? That’s what we should take a look at and fix.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Will this system hold up over time… I’d hate to go into surgery and find out they were wrong.