Do You Need Weight Loss Surgery?

If you are morbidly obese, you may need to undergo weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery, is a group of gastrointestinal surgery applied to patients who are suffering from morbid obesity. “Morbid obesity” means that a person has a BMI of 40 or more, or at least 100 lbs overweight for more than 5 years. To avoid serious diseases related to morbid obesity such as type II diabetes, heart diseases, degenerative arthritis,sleep apnea and many others, weight loss surgery is used to augment weight loss. There are two approaches to weight loss surgery as cited by The American Society for Bariatric Surgery: 1. Restrictive surgical method.

This approach of weight loss surgery aids the capacity for food intake but it does not hamper the normal digestion of food. There are three types of this weight loss surgery approach: - Lap band surgery. This is laparoscopically placing a silicone gastric band around the top of the stomach making a very small stomach pouch. Due to this, a person feels sated only with a small amount of food. What was ingested will then gradually move from the smaller pouch into the lower part of the stomach and be incorporated into the rest of the digestive system. - Gastric bypass surgery.

In this method of weight loss surgery, the surgeon staples the smaller, upper part of the stomach to disaffiliate it from the rest of the stomach and cause the small intestine to redirect to connect it to the smaller pouch. - Sleeve gastrectomy. This is less commonly employed. In this procedure 60% of the stomach is laparoscopically taken out so that the stomach is formed like a "sleeve" or tube. Lap band surgery is more preferrable. It is less complicated and less precarious than gastric bypass surgery. Lap band surgery is easily reversible than the latter. Lap band surgery doesn't cause malabsorption of vitamins and minerals unlike gastric bypass.

Furthermore, lap band surgery requires only 1 to 3 days stay in the hospital while gastric bypass need 5 to 8 days' stay. Lap band surgery, however, entails 50-60% decrease of excess weight while gastric bypass surgery would greatly diminish 70-80% of excess weight over a period of 18 months 2. Malabsorptive surgery procedures. This second method of weight loss surgery facilitate weight loss by lessening calorie absorption by altering the process of digestion. This method is rarely used as this may cause nutritional deficiencies or malnutrition. If all the other usual measures of weight loss such as medications, diet and exercise have not been helpful, weight loss surgery can be the last recourse for morbid obesity.

To differentiate, however, weight loss surgery is for medical purposes as opposed to liposuction which is a cosmetic procedure. Weight loss surgery poses its own risks as with any kind of major surgery. There may be discomforts such as nausea, weakness, vomiting, gallstones, hernia and nutritional deficiencies. Do you need weight loss surgery? The best authority on this matter is your bariatric surgeon. However, the following information may be helpful while you are contemplating: - you are more than 100 lbs. overweight (for more than 5 years) - you do not respond to typical weight loss measures - you are capable of undergoing major surgery (without any disorder or health condition) Ask your doctor for more information to weigh your options as to whether you need weight loss surgery.

For weight loss surgery to be truly successful, achievable goals must be set as well as long term modifications in your diet and way of living.