A good girlfriend of mine had the bypass surgery in October of last year. When she went in, she was 27 years old and almost 400 lbs. She has now lost 100lbs (and still losing) and looks great. She is always smiling and feels this is the best thing she could have done. She has had no complications thus far and her scarring is minimal.
I also considered it last year and talked to my doctor about it. I was so tired of being fat and failing at dieting. But, the fact is, I was scared to have my body intruded upon that way and have my insides rearranged. Atkins is my last hope - and so far so good. I am mentally ready to finally get this weight off once and for all.
Thanks to everyone on this forum. Although I lurk a lot, and post a small bit, I read all the posts and have learned so much. Everyone is so supportive.

Pssstttt.. I got a pair of pants on today that I haven't worn for a year! I get weighed again on Thursday and I'm excited to see how much I lost this week.