% of complications in Us vs. Mexico

[Susysleever 265]

I did some research and found the us rate was. 8 or so. Does anyone have better stats or Mexico stats?

[NMJG 1,266]

Where did you find your info? There is also a wide range of statistics between Centers of Excellence and those that are not in the US.

[Susysleever 265]

The ASMB website. That's what I was thinking.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Susysleever

[NMJG 1,266]

This one is interesting

http://asmbs.org/2012/06/new-studies-weigh-in-on-safety-and-effectiveness-of-newer-bariatric-and-metabolic-procedure-sleeve-gastrectomy-demonstrates-weight-loss-and-safety-comparable-to-more-established-procedures/

Another

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339264/

Another

http://www.ethicon.com/obesity/efficacy-and-safety

You can ask your doctor for the stats for their practice. They usually display them when they have their big informational meetings for people interested in WLS. Did not see anything for Mexico.

[Susysleever 265]

I remember that stats class in college. Anything can be fudged. I suspect that legit Mexican stats are hard to come by.

[judi23 20]

I remember that stats class in college. Anything can be fudged. I suspect that legit Mexican stats are hard to come by.

That's funny, the first thing I thought of was "Lies, damned lies and statistics" when my doctor send me his statistics. But you know, if I'm going to trust him to do surgery on me, I might as well trust him to give me the correct statistics to start with.

[CrazyCatLady 130]

I would rather have a great Mexican surgeon (which I did!) than an incompetant US surgeon. Having worked in a surgeon's office, I can tell you....you will never get 100% accurate stats. There is so much blame shifting to other professionals, the patient's compliance or body habitus, etc. Realistically, getting surgery complication stats are like asking your partner about how many previous sexual partners they have had - do you trust them enough to believe the number they are giving you?

[Kindle 8,667]

It's so easy to shift the blame of a surgical complication on something else, so the stats will never be accurate. For example, if you have a hip replacement, and then develop an infection, the infection could spread, and you could become septic, resulting in organ damage or shut down. Your COD would be kidney failure, heart failure, septicemia, etc. not "hip replacement surgery". Or for us, say you become dehydrated because of severe diarrhea and you can't drink enough because your sleeve is so small. You decide not to go to the ER for fluids and you die from kidney failure. Your COD would not be "WLS". Or you do actually have a direct complication like a leak and you chose to go to another doctor for treatment. Your original surgeon would not include your complication in his stats because he never treated you for a leak.

And again, what do they consider a complication when collecting their stats? Only leaks and strictures? How about depression, GERD, Constipation, diarrhea, alcoholism, gall stones, etc?

[Susysleever 265]

Excellemt points