Risks and side effects

The most common side effects are temporary but can include nausea, vomiting, bloating,
diarrhea, excessive sweating, increased gas and dizziness.

Serious side effects can include bleeding, infection, leaks from the places where your stitches
are, and blood clots in the legs that can move to the heart and lungs. Most people don’t get
any of these effects.

Long-term problems following weight loss surgery depend on which type you have. One of
the most common issues is “dumping syndrome,” in which food moves too quickly through
the small intestine. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, diarrhea after
eating, and not being able to eat sweets without feeling very weak. It can occur in up to 50
percent of people who had weight loss surgery. Avoiding high-sugar foods and replacing them
with high-fiber foods may help prevent it.

Gallstones can form when you lose a lot of weight quickly. To help prevent them, your doctor
may recommend taking supplemental bile salts for the first few months after surgery.

You’ll need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients, too, especially if the surgery made it
harder for your body to absorb nutrients from food. You will need vitamins every day for life.

Because rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies can harm a developing baby, doctors
often advise women of childbearing age who get weight loss surgery to avoid pregnancy until
their weight becomes stable.

30 | TBHC’S WEIGHT LOSS CENTER, 718.250.8920