Study: Weight-Loss Surgery Getting Safer

Weight-loss surgery done by experts is no more dangerous than other major surgery, a study concludes. These procedures are known as bariatric surgery. The study looked at data on two types, gastric bands and gastric bypass. The bands are wrapped around the stomach to make it smaller. The bypass makes the stomach smaller and also bypasses part of the intestines. Researchers looked at two years of data from 10 hospitals that specialize in this type of surgery. For every 1,000 people, 3 died during surgery or within the next month. Another 43 had a major problem, such as a blood clot. A few years ago, death rates were about 20 per 1,000. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it July 30.