A 36-year-old man in China has tragically died just days after undergoing gastric bypass surgery — a procedure he chose in hopes of making a good impression on his girlfriend’s parents.
The man, known by the pseudonym Li Jiang from Xinxiang, Henan province, had struggled with obesity for years. Standing 174cm tall and weighing over 134kg, Li found it difficult to control his eating habits.
According to his brother, Li had recently found love and wanted to appear healthier before meeting his girlfriend’s parents. “Things were going well, so he wanted to slim down before meeting the parents. He did it because he was preparing for marriage,” his brother shared.
Li was admitted to Zhengzhou Ninth People’s Hospital on September 30 for gastric bypass surgery. The operation, performed on October 2, was initially deemed successful, and Li was transferred from the ICU to a general ward the next day.
However, his condition suddenly worsened on October 4. At around 6:40 a.m., medical staff found that he had stopped breathing. Despite emergency treatment, Li passed away the following day due to respiratory failure.
Medical reports revealed that Li suffered from metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and a fatty liver, and had been gaining weight rapidly over the past year. His family questioned whether the hospital had thoroughly evaluated his condition before surgery and whether post-operative complications were properly handled.
In response, the hospital stated that Li had met all clinical requirements for the procedure and that medical staff acted swiftly when his condition deteriorated. Both the family and the hospital have since requested the local Health Commission to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
“The final autopsy report will serve as the most authoritative basis for determining the cause of death,” the hospital said, promising to take full responsibility in accordance with the findings and relevant laws.
The case has sparked heated discussions on Chinese social media. One user commented, “There’s always a risk in this kind of surgery. Doctors can only do their best, but there are no guarantees.” Another added, “Weight-loss surgery is still surgery — if you can lose weight naturally, that’s always safer.”
