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Womens-Health

Obesity Surgery You Have Options Available

Posted by Admin on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 10:09 PM

With obesity on the rise, there are multiple ways available now to support and help obese people lose weight, one of them being weight loss, or obesity, surgery. There is much involved in weight loss surgery, and there are many different options. Unfortunately, it is not as many people think it is though. It is not the “easy way out.” After weight loss surgery you have to dramatically change your lifestyle, eating habits, and physical activity levels to continue losing weight, prevent from gaining the weight back, and to prevent complications.

But, surgery for weight loss is not for everyone. Surgery for weight loss is strictly for obese people who have a BMI of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher and are suffering from an obese related disease. You also have had to try dieting and exercising before the surgery, and must be willing to continue to diet and exercise for you entire life after your surgery. Obesity surgery is to assist people in losing weight, not to lose it for them; it takes some effort on your part too.

There are many different types of obesity surgery available. Doctors provide these options so you can determine which one is best for you. Certain type of people may suffer, or be more likely to suffer, from complications with one surgery, but not another. You and your doctor need to talk over your situation, your health, and your family’s history to determine which option is best for you and your health.

One common surgery is gastric bypass surgery, or bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the amount of food intake you need to be full by splitting your stomach into two parts. The upper smaller portion is where your food will initially go, and once it is full, you will feel full. The lower larger portion is still needed for proper digestion. Complications involve blood clots, infections, and many others because you lose such a significant amount of weight at one time, your body is receiving much less nutrients.

LAP-BAND adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is another surgery that is available. It offers a simpler procedure than gastric bypass and there are much less risks and complications. The disadvantage is the patient does not lose weight as fast, but this is why it causes less risk. LAGB allows a greater amount of time for the body to adjust to the weight loss, so it is much healthier for you.

Stomach stapling, while becoming much less popular these days, is another option. Stomach stapling simply helps you eat less by separating your stomach into two parts, much like gastric bypass surgery. Nevertheless, stomach stapling causes much more complications and has a longer recovery time than gastric bypass surgery.

If you have a body mass index greater than 50, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch is another option. In this surgery about eighty percent of the stomach is removed. This surgery has a greater risk of vitamin deficiencies than gastric bypass surgery, so it is very limited on the number patients it is used for. Gastric bypass surgery and LAGB are much safer and offer less complications than this.