Gastric
Bypass Surgery Gone Bad
NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2005
A recent study by researchers
at the University of Washington found that 1 in 50 people die within
one month of having gastric bypass surgery, and that figure jumps
nearly five-fold if the surgeon is inexperienced. (CBS)
Gastric bypass surgery,
the drastic procedure used to help some obese people lose weight,
continues to grow in popularity. It's estimated that 140,000 people
had this procedure in 2004, with the number expected to grow even
higher this year. And for the majority of patients, this surgery
is a lifesaver, but not for all, reports The Early Show correspondent
Melinda Murphys.
Like many people who
seek out this surgery, Dave Weindel had been morbidly obese for
most of his life. So he was eager to have surgery to help him lose
weight, get healthy, and live longer to watch his four young children
grow.
He died three weeks after
having gastric bypass surgery.
"I graduated from eighth
grade a couple years later," Christy Weindel says, crying. "And
he wasn't there for that. And he wasn't there for prom. And I just
got married in September. And he wasn't there for that. It's really
tough. Christy Weindel lost her father when she was 12 years old.
Read More at CBS News.
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