Q. Does anything happen to our bodies after weight-loss surgery that could make it difficult to fight off disease?
A. Fortunately, undergoing weight-loss surgery does not make you more susceptible to contracting a serious disease. Many studies have demonstrated positive effects in reducing severe diseases that often lead to premature mortality such as diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and hypercholesterolemia. Immune system function also improves with weight loss. Finally, weight-loss surgery has been shown to decrease the likelihood of certain cancers such as breast, colon or uterine cancers. In most cases, weight-loss surgery will have more positive health benefits than negative effects.
Ian Villanueva, MD, is a bariatric surgeon with the Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery program at Atrium Health.
