
Choosing A Weight Loss Surgery
There are different types of weight loss surgeries, which are all collectively known as bariatric surgery. These procedures essentially involve altering your digestive system’s works to help you lose weight. It is usually the last resort for most people when exercise and diet fail to yield any results or an option for people with severe health problems brought about by their weight.
Weight loss surgeries have different goals. Some are performed to limit the amount of food you eat; others reduce the absorption of nutrients to your body, while some surgeries may have both aims.
Bariatric weight loss is mostly made when someone is at high risk of life-threatening health problems related to their weight, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart disease.
Due to the risks involved, this surgery is typically performed once every other avenue to weight loss has failed.
Can Anyone undergo bariatric surgery?
To be eligible for these types of surgeries, you must meet a set of requirements, which include:
v Have a BMI (body mass index) of 40 or above or have weight-related illnesses such as diabetes, chronic sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and heart disease with a BMI of 35 to 40.
v Anyone who weighs below 450 pounds, which is the maximum weight hospital radiology equipment and tools can accommodate. Thus it means if you are above 450 pounds, you will need to lose extra weight, perhaps through nutrition adjustment.
Via University of California South San Francisco
From the above requirements, bariatric surgery is not just for any overweight person. You have to meet specific medical guidelines to be eligible for this type of surgery. The physicians will perform some extensive screenings to make sure you qualify, and on your part, you must be willing to partake in some long-lasting changes that will allow you to lead a better, healthier lifestyle after that.
You also require to take part in permanent follow-ups to ensure your nutrition is perfect and supports your new lifestyle.
Professionals that will conduct your bariatric surgery
Once you are eligible for weight-loss surgery, a healthcare team of the following professionals will work on you:
- Surgeon
- Dietitian
- Anesthesiologist
- Psychiatrist or psychologist
- Nurse for weight management
- Primary doctor and
- Any other required specialist depending on your health condition
Different types of weight-loss surgeries
Once you are eligible for bariatric surgery, the next step is determining the type of weight loss surgery right for you or will help you achieve your objective. There are many bariatric surgeries, and you can talk to your doctor to find out the best option for you.
Here are some of the most common types of weight-loss surgeries:
Gastric Bypass is Also known as Roux-en-Y. Gastric bypass is the first-ever weight-loss procedure and has been around for more than 20 years. It includes creating a tiny pouch from the stomach, connecting it with the small intestine to bypass the stomach and directly enter the small intestine.
This procedure’s basic principle is to limit food intake and reduce the absorption of nutrients in the stomach and the two intestines.
As well all know, the digestion process starts in the mouth to prepare it for absorption in the stomach. Digestion is usually fast in the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.
But gastric bypass aims to interrupt or alter this process and prevent food from being digested and absorbed traditionally.
Once the absorption of the calories and nutrients has been reduced, the individual will lose weight and reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Gastric Banding
This type of weight loss surgery has also been practised for decades. It is specifically designed to treat obesity by constricting the stomach so that you feel full after a small amount of food intake.
It is a process that has been approved for the treatment of weight loss. It involves the surgeon placing a cord (thus the name gastric banding) around the stomach’s upper region and attaches a small tube to the rope. This tube is reachable via a port beneath the skin of the abdomen.
The surgeon introduces a brine solution into the cord through this port to inflate it. As a result, the thread creates a bean-sized pouch above it and separates it from the abdomen.
Since you now have a smaller stomach, you will eat less food than usual because you will be feeling full after eating small amounts of food.
Unlike gastric bypass, gastric banding allows the food to be digested as usual without malabsorption.
Gastric banding is also a minimally invasive procedure and is done through orifice incisions. It is a procedure that usually takes between 30 and 50 minutes.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Sleeve Gastrectomy is one of the most common weight-loss surgeries despite being around for less time than other forms of bariatric surgery. The surgeon removes up to 85% of the stomach, then fastens the remaining parts of the stomach to restrict the amount of food intake.
Gastric sleeve costs less than other forms of weight loss surgeries and is among the cheapest bariatric procedures.
Intra-Gastric Balloon
Unlike other forms of weight-loss procedures, an intra-gastric balloon is usually temporary, mostly six months maximum. It involves your surgeon filling the balloon with oxygen and placing it into the abdomen using a narrow tube through your mouth. Once the balloon reaches the stomach, it is inflated with air. There usually are two types of balloons – single balloon and dual balloon. The type of balloon you need depends on the results you want and the size of your stomach.
In Summary
Weight-loss surgery is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. The procedures mentioned above have different pros and cons. Make sure you talk to your doctor to find out if you qualify for these kinds of Surg and as learn of the risks involved. You will be provided with after-surgery care, which sometimes can be for the rest of your life.
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