Norwegian woman warns against weight-loss surgery after 18 years of complications

A 52-year-old Norwegian woman who underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2008 has spent the past 18 years battling severe complications, including a chronic non-healing wound and multiple hospitalizations, Dagbladet reports.

Lena Rosø, now 52, weighed nearly 170 kg before the procedure, which initially helped her lose over 100 kg. But within months, she developed intense abdominal pain and required emergency surgery after her small intestine was damaged during a follow-up procedure. Since then, she has undergone numerous operations, including eight in a single month, and now lives with an open abdominal wound requiring constant care.

Rosø claims she was not adequately informed of the risks before surgery and has sought compensation through Norway’s patient injury system, but her claim was rejected. Her lawyer, Lars Kjønniksen, argues she should never have been approved for the operation given her medical history, which includes ADHD and borderline personality disorder.

“I would advise no one to have this surgery,” Rosø told Dagbladet, describing years of hospital stays, infections, and a body that “no longer functions.” She now hopes to meet with Norway’s health minister to push for stricter regulations on weight-loss procedures.