Bariatric surgery procedure also called weight loss surgery, is a surgical approach to treat obesity and health problems linked to it. This surgery helps people who couldn’t lose weight through diet and exercise alone. This article gives a full picture of the bariatric surgery procedure covering its types upsides, downsides, who can get it how to get ready, what happens during the surgery, and care after it.
What is Bariatric Surgery Procedure?
Bariatric surgery changes how your digestive system works to help you lose weight. Doctors use different types of bariatric surgery, but they all aim to limit how much food your stomach can hold or cut down on how many nutrients your body absorbs. Some of the common bariatric surgeries include gastric bypass gastric sleeve, and gastric banding.
Gastric bypass creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach and connects it straight to the small intestine. This limits how much food a person can eat and reduces nutrient absorption. Gastric sleeve removes part of the stomach to make a smaller, sleeve-shaped stomach. This cuts down on how much food someone can eat and lowers the production of hunger hormones. Gastric banding puts an adjustable band around the upper stomach making a small pouch. This restricts food intake and doctors can adjust it as needed.
Types of Bariatric Surgery Procedures
Doctors can choose from different kinds of weight loss surgeries, each with its pros and cons. The most popular ones are gastric bypass gastric sleeve, and gastric banding.
Experts see gastric bypass as the best weight loss surgery. It works by making a tiny stomach pouch and hooking it up straight to the small intestine. This skips a big part of the stomach and small intestine so the body takes in fewer calories. Gastric bypass helps people lose weight fast and makes health problems like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure better.
Sleeve gastrectomy also called gastric sleeve, removes part of the stomach to make a smaller, sleeve-shaped stomach. This limits how much food you can eat and cuts down on hunger hormones. Compared to gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy is less invasive and has fewer problems. It works well for people with a high BMI.
Gastric banding puts an adjustable band around the top of the stomach, which makes a small pouch. Doctors can tighten or loosen the band to control how much food a person can eat. You can reverse this procedure, and it has a lower chance of causing nutrient shortages compared to other weight loss surgeries. But it might not help people lose as much weight as gastric bypass or gastric sleeve.
Benefits and Risks
Bariatric surgery has an influence on people who struggle with obesity in many good ways. The main plus is big weight loss that lasts. Research shows patients can drop a lot of pounds after this surgery, which leads to better health overall and lower chances of getting diseases linked to being overweight.
Besides helping you lose weight bariatric surgery can also fix or make better health problems that come with obesity. These include type 2 diabetes high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and joint pain. It can also boost fertility in women and make life better by improving self-esteem and how people see their bodies.
Even though bariatric surgery has many upsides, we need to think about the dangers that come with it. Just like any operation bariatric surgery can lead to problems like infections, bleeding, blood clots, and bad reactions to anesthesia. Each type of bariatric surgery also has its own special risks such as leaks, narrowing of passages, and not getting enough nutrients. But these dangers are pretty low, and the good things that come from bariatric surgery make up for the possible risks.
Eligibility Criteria for Bariatric Surgery
Not everyone can get bariatric surgery. Doctors look at things like your body mass index (BMI), health problems from being overweight, and if you’ve tried to lose weight before. , you might qualify if your BMI is 40 or more, or 35 or more with weight-related health issues. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. Doctors check each person’s physical and mental health to decide if they’re a good fit.
Also, if you want bariatric surgery, you need to show you’re ready to make big changes in your life after the operation. This means you’ll have to eat healthy, work out , and keep seeing your doctors for check-ups.
Preparing for the Bariatric Surgery
To get ready for bariatric surgery, patients need to take several steps. This preparation plays a key role in the success of the procedure. Patients must meet with healthcare experts, take medical tests, and change their lifestyle.
First, people who want bariatric surgery meet with a team of specialists. This team might include a surgeon dietitian, psychologist, and exercise expert. These meetings help to teach patients about the surgery. The team also checks the patient’s physical and mental health. They guide patients on how to change their way of life.
Doctors may order blood tests, scans, and mental health checks. These tests help to assess the patient’s overall health. They also spot any possible risks or problems that might occur.
Along with medical prep, changing your lifestyle plays a key role before you have weight loss surgery. Doctors ask patients to stick to a special diet before the operation to shrink their liver and make it easier to access the surgery area. This diet often means eating fewer calories more protein, and less carbs for a set time before the surgery.
The Bariatric Surgery Process
The actual weight loss surgery happens when you’re asleep and has several steps. How the surgery goes depends on which type of weight loss procedure you’re having.
When performing gastric bypass, the doctor makes a tiny pouch at the stomach’s top using staples or stitches. Then, they cut the small intestine and link its lower section to the new pouch. This lets food skip a big part of the stomach and small intestine, which cuts down on calorie absorption.
In gastric sleeve surgery, doctors take out part of the stomach leaving a smaller, sleeve-like stomach behind. They then seal the remaining stomach with staples or stitches. This limits how much food a person can eat and lowers the production of hormones that make you feel hungry.
Doctors put an adjustable band around the top of the stomach in gastric banding. This creates a small pouch. A tube connects the band to an access port under the skin. Doctors can tighten or loosen the band by adding or removing salt water through this port. This controls how much food a person can eat.
How long the weight loss surgery takes depends on how complex the case is. It lasts between one and four hours.
Getting Better and Care After Weight Loss Surgery
Recovery and post-operative care have a big impact on how well bariatric surgery turns out. After the operation, doctors keep a close eye on patients in a recovery area until they wake up. They might give pain meds and antibiotics to handle pain and stop infections.
Patients need to stay in the hospital for a few days to make sure they’re stable and getting better. During this time, healthcare workers check the patient’s vital signs , give advice on how to take care of themselves after surgery, and deal with any worries or problems that pop up.
After leaving the hospital, doctors tell patients to stick to a specific diet and exercise plan to help them heal and lose weight. The diet after surgery begins with clear liquids then moves on to pureed foods, and to solid foods. Patients have regular check-ups with their healthcare team to track their progress, get support, and make changes to their treatment plan when needed.
Success Stories and Testimonials of the Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery has changed lives for many people. Stories of success and testimonials from patients who’ve had bariatric surgery can inspire and inform others who are thinking about getting the procedure.
Bariatric surgery has an impact on significant and long-lasting weight loss better health related to obesity, and a boost in life quality. Yet, it’s not a quick solution or the right choice for everyone. To succeed in the long run bariatric surgery needs you to commit to lifelong changes in your diet and way of life.
If you’ve been fighting obesity and haven’t been able to lose weight through other ways, you might want to think about bariatric surgery. Talk to a doctor who knows about this kind of surgery to see if you fit the bill and to learn about the good and bad points. Keep in mind bariatric surgery helps you lose weight, but in the end, your success depends on how committed you are to making good changes in your life.
Make a move to reach a healthier weight and improve your life quality. Book an appointment with a weight loss surgeon today and start a life-changing journey to become a happier healthier version of yourself.
