Routes To Self Improvement Ezine
Issue 18
There are millions of people around the world, mostly in Western nations, who are either considering, practising or have given up on some sort of weight loss program or diet. Of the most extreme cases of obesity, a small proportion may reach the point of despair where they start to think about weight loss surgery. They have tried the diets and the weight loss clubs, and for a variety of reasons, the weight has stayed on.
However, weight loss surgery is an extreme and last resort. The article in this issue takes a look at some of the implications of opting for surgery to lose weight.
Weight Loss Surgery - The Last Resort
Weight loss surgery is the most extreme of the recommended treatments for obesity, and is something that should not be undergone without due consideration of the risks, and close consultation with your doctor and the specialist surgeon. Bariatric surgery, as it is called, is reserved for cases of severe obesity that have been resistant to all other methods of weight loss and weight control.
Bariatric surgery is not a single operative type of surgery. In fact, there are two basic types of bariatric surgery (which is also sometimes called gastrointestinal surgery), and each of these has a different purpose. Although both surgical methods are quite different, they bring with the similar risks, and prospective results and outcome.
Restrictive Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
The first type of bariatric weight loss surgery is 'restrictive'. This type of surgery includes the well-known 'stomach stapling', which you may have seen on tv from time to time. As its name suggests, the purpose of restrictive surgery is to restrict the amount of food that can be eaten at one time. Doctors using this method create a small pouch at the top of the stomach, which holds about one ounce of food. This pouch has a small opening at the bottom to hold food in the pouch and cause a feeling of fullness. After the surgery, a patient can eat no more than 3/4 cup to a cup of well chewed and bland food, at a time, without feeling nauseous. The intent of the surgery, quite simply, is to reduce the amount of food eaten, by restricting the amount of food that can be eaten at any one time.
Variations of this type of restrictive surgery include 'lap banding', in which the pouch is created by wrapping a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. Since there is no need to cut into the stomach or intestine, the complication rate is lower than in standard restrictive surgery, and the recovery period is shorter.
Malabsorptive Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
The second type of bariatric surgery for weight loss is the malabsorptive variety. This type of surgery is the more common type of surgery for the obesity treatment. The most well-known of the procedures is the gastric bypass. The purpose of gastric bypass and other types of bypass surgery is to prevent the effective absorption of nutrients from food eaten by 'bypassing' most of the intestine in the food's path through the body. The malabsorption results in significant weight loss and a reduction of appetite.
Gastric bypass surgery has a number of possible side effects, which include chronic diarrhea, stomach ulcers, foul-smelling stools and flatulence, and risk of nutritional and micro-nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, there is the chance of dumping syndrome, the symptoms if which include nausea, sweating, faintness, fainting, and diarrhea after eating.
Patients seeking bariatric weight loss surgery are evaluated by a medical professional for suitability for the surgery. Candidates who will be seriously considered include those who are at least 80-100 pounds overweight, and who have had little or nosuccess with traditional weight loss methods. Additionally, patients who have other medical problems which require weight loss may be considered candidates.
If you are one of those considering weight loss surgery, there are several things you should bear in mind:
1. Surgical risks are serious.
2. You will need lifelong medical supervision after the operation.
3. You will still need to make lifestyle and dietary changes.
4. There are many health insurance plans that will not cover bariatric surgery.
It is important to be sure that you choose a surgeon with experience in bariatric techniques, and that you will be provided with full physical and emotional support before, during and after the surgery.
