Today about two thirds of the population of the US is overweight, with about thirty percent of these people being clinically obese. Additionally, a staggering nine million adults are more than 100 pounds overweight and are classed as morbidly obese.

For these people the traditional remedy of diet combined with exercise simply doesn't work and they are turning more and more towards gastric bypass surgery.

The commonest form of gastric bypass surgery today is a procedure known as Roux-en-Y which creates a stomach pouch, using a section of the stomach itself, that is then linked to the small intestine, bypassing a large part of both the stomach and the duodenum. the procedure to hold large quantities of food but, by bypassing the duodenum, fat absorption is also considerably reduced.

The increasing popularity of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, helped along by such things as its use by a variety of high-profile celebrities, expanding coverage for the procedure by Medicare and some creative marketing, has led to an increase in the number of medical facilities providing the procedure. Some of these facilities are better than others and just a few are perhaps a little too interested in the profit to be made from the provision of gastric bypass surgery. In turn, this presents an escalating danger for those contemplating surgery.

Results can be impressive, not only in terms of the weight loss attained but also in terms of the dramatic improvement that can be made to the patients overall quality of life. In spite of this, gastric bypass surgery is major surgery and is certainly not suited to everybody and is not without its risks.

So exactly what risks are involved?

The risks of gastric bypass surgery will obviously vary from individual to individual and anyone contemplating surgery should consult a doctor to discover the risks that surgery carries in their specific case. Here however, in very general terms, are some of risks more commonly associated with gastric bypass surgery:

Death. As is the case with any major operation there is a risk of death associated with gastric bypass surgery and estimates place the short-term risk at around one or two percent. The risk varies with other medical conditions, age and general health.

Pneumonia. Excessive weight puts additional stress on both the chest cavity and the lungs. This gives rise to an additional risk of contracting pneumonia following surgery.

A narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine. Though seldom encountered, this complication may require outpatient treatment where a tube is passed through your mouth to widen the narrowed opening or surgical correction of the problem.

Leaking at one of the lines of staples in the stomach. Infection can result from leakage around the staples and this is typically cured with antibiotics. The majority of cases heal in time but, from time to time, this leakage can be sufficiently serious to need emergency surgery.

Blood clots forming in the legs. The risk of blood clots forming in the legs is most commonly seen in the case of patients who are carrying a lot of excess weight and, when blood clots do appear, the situation can quickly become dangerous. In some cases blood clots travel to the lungs where they lodge themselves in the arteries of the lung creating a pulmonary embolism - a serious and life-threatening condition which damages the lung tissue.

Gastric bypass surgery can also cause dumping syndrome, a condition in which the stomach contents move too rapidly through the small intestine causing dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating and diarrhoea.

Other frequently seen complications of gastric bypass surgery include dehydration, bleeding stomach ulcers, hernia, gallstones, intolerance to some foods and vitamin and mineral deficiency.

Advances in surgical techniques are rendering gastric bypass surgery safer by the day and the introduction of laparoscopic surgery and robots, now being evaluated at Stanford University Medical Center in California, are also helping with patient recovery and reducing post-operative complications.

Despite the risks for every problem case there are a thousand examples of thinner and happier people walking around. So, if you are considering gastric bypass surgery talk to your doctor and, while you should undoubtedly consider the risks, don't automatically dismiss the procedure simply because of them.