Surgery to Treat Obesity a Risk Factor for Gallstones

Gallstones are common among people who undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight.

Bariatric surgery to reduce the size of the stomach or bypass parts of the digestive system is a weight-loss method for people who have a BMI (Body Mass Index) above 40. Check out the BMI Calculator on this site on the left menu under Free Health Tools or on this site at quickcalc.php

This procedure is also an option for people who have a BMI above 35 with comorbid (two or more disease conditions that occur simultaneously within the same person) conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Experts estimate that about one-third of patients who have bariatric surgery develop gallstones. The gallstones usually develop in the first few months after surgery and are symptomatic.