Study suggests: Lose weight before weight-loss surgery

January 14, 2010 A new study finds shedding a few pounds before the surgery might reduce your risk of having surgical complications.

A look back at the medical records of 881 patients who had weight loss surgery found that the more weight patients lost before surgery, the less likely they were to suffer post-op complications. That included infections, blood clots and kidney problems.

The post-surgery complication rate was nearly twofold higher in patients who gained weight before surgery, relative to those who lost weight before surgery.

The study appears in the Archives of Surgery.

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