I think that you mostly hear about the things that go wrong or people who don't follow what the doctors tell them. The success stories are rarely told. I have stopped reading some of the posts. I did not tell many people about my surgery prior because I did not want to hear any of the horror stories that everyone seems to have. I am so glad I did not. There are going to be risks with any surgery. 5 or 10 years ago, this surgery was much more evasive. Now it is non-evasive (five little cuts) and generally in the hospital for one night. I can state that I have no issues. I am 4 months post op. I lost 40 pounds prior to surgery and have lost 60 since surgery. I have not had any issues. I am off almost all medications. I am taking vitamins but I took those anyway. I feel better than I have in 20 years. Go in with a great attitude, follow the surgeon team's guidance. It was one of my best decision.