Recent studies suggest that older patients can benefit from gastric bypass surgery as much as their younger counterparts, if not more.  According to researchers at New York’s Columbia University Center for Obesity Surgery, people over the age of sixty can receive the same benefits from gastric bypass surgery without any added risk of postoperative complications. 

Another study conducted at the University of Miami found that, in 27 gastric-bypass patients over the age of 65, the procedure was effective and increase patient’s quality of life with little additional risk.  The risk of complications and mortality is the same for gastric bypass surgery as it is for hip replacement, a common senior surgery.  The mortality rate is between two and four percent, a relatively low risk compared to the benefits of this gastric bypass surgery. 

According to Dr. Michael Murr, a bariatric surgeon at the University of South Florida, gastric bypass surgery can improve the health of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and heartburn reflux, and preserve joint and knee function. 

According to the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, approximately 140,000 people undergo weight loss surgery in the United States annually.  Most of these surgeries are gastric-bypass surgery.  Since 1998, the number of patients having gastric bypass surgery has doubled.  This surgery reduces the size of the stomach, thus, lowering the amount of food one can consume. 

Doctors estimate that only about two percent of this patient population is over the age of sixty.  Many experts expect this number to grow considerably in the coming years, as people are living longer and want to lead healthier lives.  Many private insurance companies and providers like Medicare are now covering the cost of gastric-bypass surgery.  These organizations recognize that the cost of this surgery is less than the long-term costs of treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Many people who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, report that it is one of the best decisions they have ever made.