While the purpose of surgical procedures is to save lives, extend life or improve the quality of life, surgery can also cause serious harm. Even minor surgeries come with the risk of possible complications. In some cases, common surgical interventions have caused pain or disability instead of preventing it. However, knowing the risk factors beforehand can help you make a more informed decision, especially when weighing both the risks and benefits of having elective surgery.
Surgical Injury
Surgical errors can cause serious complications and, in some cases, permanent disability. Sometimes when a person is having surgery performed on one area another area or body organ may be injured during the procedure by mistake. As a result, the patient may need additional surgery to repair the damage. Medical mistakes do happen, for example, a surgeon can cut at the wrong site. If the problem is detected while the patient is still in surgery, the surgeon usually takes care of it immediately, However, in some cases, a problem may not become obvious until the recovery period or even later.
Back Surgery
Back surgeries involving the spinal cord put a person at particular risk of paralysis. There is also the risk of damage to nerves while the surgeon is making the incision, which can cause some patients to experience a tingling and numbing sensation near the incision site afterward. Permanent nerve damage can also occur in that area of the body, affecting both movement and sensation.
Heart Surgery
In a June 2008 article published in the online journal Medlink Neurology (see Reference 1), researchers report that having heart surgery or other heart procedures can cause possible neurological complications. According to studies cited in the article, complications may occur following cardiac catheterizations, bypass surgeries, valve replacements, aortic surgery or heart transplants. Patients who have bypass surgery are at risk for stroke, long-term paralysis and vision problems following surgery. Some people report experiencing cognitive problems involving memory and concentration. Individuals undergoing aortic valve replacement can suffer complications such as stroke, paraplegia or neurological problems affecting the peripheral nervous system.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Ulcers are a common complication of gastric bypass surgery. Many times an ulcer develops where the surgeon attaches the small intestine to the upper part of the stomach. A hernia in the incision can occur as well. Depending on the size of the hernia and severity of symptoms, surgical repair may be necessary. Another rare complication is the narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the intestine, in which case doctors pass a dilating tube through the mouth to the stomach to expand the area that has narrowed. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that patients sometimes experience long-term malabsorption problems following this type of surgery (see Reference 2). These may include anemia or neurological complications due to vitamin B12 deficiency, weakening bones caused by vitamin D deficiency or kidney stones if the body does not absorb calcium properly.
Laser Surgery
Laser surgery performed on the skin comes with its own risk of long-term complications. Permanent scarring is possible any time laser light treatment is used, particularly when infection or irritation interfere with the healing process. Hypopigmentation, or a lightening of skin color, can be permanent when dermal tissue is damaged during the dermabrasion procedure. Hypopigmentation is more likely to occur after a person receives multiple laser treatments. Individuals with darker skin tones appear to be affected more often.
Cataract Surgery
Although for most people cataract surgery is a safe procedure that produces positive benefits, there are complications that can develop. Major complications that can occur include damage to the cornea, detachment of the retina, perforation in the eye, bleeding or infection. In some cases, another cataract surgery may correct the damage. Unfortunately, sometimes the damage is permanent and can lead to the need for a corneal transplant, permanent vision loss, or the loss of an eye.
