The risks of weight loss surgery compare favorably with other surgeries. In general, the risks of obesity are much greater than the surgery itself. The key decision that needs to be made is the choice between restrictive and malabsorption procedures or a combination of both these two procedures.

It has been noted that though malabsorption procedure of surgery yields better results, it involves greater risks. Restrictive procedures usually lead to a reduction of about 47% of excess weight in patients while the figures for gastric bypass and duodenal switch surgeries (both are malabsorption procedures) are 62% and 70% respectively. On the other hand, whereas the mortality rate for restrictive procedures was 0.1% within the first month of surgery, the mortality rates for gastric bypass and duodenal switch for the 30 days following surgery were 0.5% and 1% respectively. Also, malabsorption procedures have a greater risk of intestine leakage and nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, gastric bypass operations may cause