Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For Me? Guide To Bariatric Surgery

For most obese patients, diet and exercise will be enough to lose enough weight to vastly improve health outcomes. However, it’s not effective for everyone, and many obese patients report trying time and time again to lose weight on their own or with a trainer or dietitian.

Weight loss surgery, however, is not a decision to be taken lightly. It could help you if you’re a severely obese person with a history of health issues stemming from the obesity.

Is Bariatric Surgery Right For Me?

Weight loss surgery was created as somewhat of a “last resort” for patients who have tried time and time again to lose weight, but have been unsuccessful. It addresses the root cause of obesity, which is the overconsumption of calories that contribute to the creation of fat (adipose) tissue. If you qualify, and you’re ready to take on the lifestyle changes required, then bariatric surgery will be right for you.

Do I Qualify For Bariatric Surgery?

You qualify for bariatric surgery if:

● You have a BMI over 35
● You have health complications related to obesity such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, joint pain, difficulty breathing, or other problems
● You have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise alone with no success

How Does Bariatric Surgery Help Me Lose Weight?

The advantage to bariatric surgery is they completely change how food is digested and absorbed. Some surgeries reduce the size and shape of the stomach while reattaching it back to the small intestine; others simply restrict stomach volume by inserting bands or balloons. This reduction of stomach volume helps patients stop overeating.

What Are The Options?

Gastric bypass is the original bariatric procedure. The gastric bypass takes the stomach, forms a small egg-sized pouch within the stomach, and reattaches the stomach pouch to a lower part of the small intestine, bypassing the upper part of the intestine.

Gastric sleeve takes the stomach and reshapes it into a sleeve. This procedure also removes a part of the stomach responsible for producing ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger.

Lap Band® surgeries use a band to shrink the size of the stomach. Gastric balloons can be used as well.

What Are The Options?

Weight loss surgery is not a cure-all, despite the fact that it does cause rapid excess fat loss and can help obesity related conditions go into remission. It is still possible for patients to regain the weight after losing it due to the surgery. As a result, some diet changes are required.

Weight loss surgery patients have to eat a much smaller diet. During recovery, this is reinforced by the fact that if you try to eat large portions, you will likely feel ill. Portion sizes are required to be very small, as the stomach is often reduced to the size of an egg. Patients will also need to take multivitamins and drink plenty of water to prevent malnourishment and dehydration.

What Are The Options?

● Weight loss surgery can help patients lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time.
● Weight loss surgery is appropriate for obese patients with health problems stemming from their excess weight.
● There are several different types of bariatric surgery.
● Weight loss surgery is not a cure-all and requires significant lifestyle changes.

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