Bariatric Surgery Risks and Benefits
By Kelly Brown | Published on September 16, 2009 | 0 Comments
Those who have tried traditional weight-loss methods like diet and exercise without success may want to discuss the option of bariatric surgery with their doctor. If you have led a sedentary lifestyle and have made poor food choices, you may suffer from obesity. There may also genetic reasons for your condition. Regardless of the reason, it is a serious medical condition that can lead to other problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and death.
What Is It?
Bariatric surgery, sometimes called weight-loss surgery, is a procedure that is designed to reduce the size of the stomach. This way, less food and calories are taken in, enabling weight loss. Anyone who has struggled with weight loss knows the most effective and healthiest way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle permanently. Bariatric surgery forces those changes. Your digestive system is altered, which helps to discourage overeating.
There are two main types of weight-loss surgery. Roux-en-Y closes off a part of the stomach and bypasses part of the intestine. This means that not only is the stomach smaller, food is able to bypass a portion of the area that takes calories and nutrients from food. Gastric Banding acheives similar results with a different method. A band is put around the stomach to reduce the size and prevent food from passing all the way through. In both cases, food not only bypasses part of the stomach, less food can enter the system to begin with since the size of the stomach has been reduced. The patient’s brain sense they are full earlier in the eating process.
Following surgery, a patient will be required to eat a liquid-only, sugar-free diet until the digestive tract has healed. For two weeks following the reintroduction of more solidified foods, patients will eat blended and pureed sugar-free foods. This may include things like milk, protein drinks, and mashed potatoes. Once a person has returned to a full diet, he will be eating a lot less than before. It may still be necessary to avoid sugary foods, especially alcohol.
Who Needs It?
The National Institute of Health typically recommends bariatric surgery for those with a body mass index greater than 40. Those who have serious medical conditions and a BMI greater than 35 are also candidates. Some doctors require their patients to have been obese for more than five years. Patients are typically 18 to 65 years old and have unsuccessfully tried other weight loss methods. They suffer from no untreated psychiatric disorders and they do not have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
Benefits
There are a number of health and cosmetic benefits to weight-loss surgery. The surgery is often the only way some people are able to lose weight. Following surgery and the subsequent weight loss, people find themselves healthier, more active, and leading a happier, more fulfilled life.
Some doctors and researchers believe the surgery may offer a cure for diabetes. The weight reduction helps the body cope better with insulin production and patients are able to reduce their symptoms, sometimes to non-existent levels. According to the Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery, an online weight-loss resource, obese people have double the chance of developing type II diabetes, and the severely obese have ten times the risk. Even though it can be costly, many believe that having bariatric surgery is cheaper in the long run, reducing the risk of weight-related complications, and astronomical medical costs. For this reason, many medical insurance companies, at the moment, are often willing to cover some or all of the $17,000 to $35,000 charges associated with the surgery.
Risks
While bariatric surgery could save a life, risks are associated with it, as there would be for any surgical procedure. Immediately following surgery, a person may develop an infection at the site of the stapling or banding. There have been some rare instances of pulmonary embolism, which is a blood blockage in the lungs leading to death. There is also the risk of leakage at the surgery site, incisional hernia, and pneumonia.
Once the surgery has healed, a number of lifestyle changes must be observed to avoid complications. If someone eats too much, he will experience nausea and may become ill. A common problem with those who have had bariatric surgery is gastric dumping syndrome. If food passes through the system too quickly, as it sometimes does when it is bypassing a large portion of the digestive tract, it may result in bloating and diarrhea. Gastric dumping syndrome can be uncomfortable, but it can be avoided by keeping meals very small and eating slowly. Many doctors recommend patients take a daily multivitamin to make up for the vitamins they will miss out on with their drastically reduced diet.
Once a person has lost a significant amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, he may find his skin is sagging. This can be remedied with an operation known as panniculetomy. Some believe this is a cosmetic procedure, but the sagging skin can lead to both health and hygeine issues. So it is often considered a necessary final phase of weight-loss surgery.
Those who are suffering from obesity may be desperate for assistance with their weight loss. If dieting and exercise have not worked, bariatric surgery may be the solution. To avoid costly and fatal health conditions, speak with your doctor about your weight-loss surgery options.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
Tags: bariatric surgery, diabetes, obesity, weight loss, weight loss surgery
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*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.