Bariatric Surgery: A Life-Changing Solution for Obesity
Bariatric surgery—the life-altering procedure—has gained paramount importance in recent times and has emerged as an important tool for managing severe obesity and conditions associated with it. Obesity and surgery are both strong and concise statements that effectively convey the message about bariatric surgery and its benefits. It allows chronically obese individuals to overcome weight loss and health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea and permanently improve quality of life and longevity. This bariatric weight loss surgery could greatly enhance these lives by reducing excess weight and improving metabolic health.
What is Bariatric Surgery?
The term bariatric surgery refers to weight-loss surgeries like gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery. These operations change the anatomy of a person’s digestive tract to treat obesity through limitation of dietary intake. Some may also change levels of hunger hormones and appetite.
Those who have obesity and have been unable to lose weight by means of dieting and exercising may find that bariatric surgery is suitable. It can include people who manage to lose some weight only to put it back on again. For some patients, bariatric surgery may also be indicated for comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes attributable to obesity.
Types of Bariatric Surgery
The common types of bariatric surgery recommended include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric band surgery.
- Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass surgery, also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYBG), is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach, resulting in fewer calories and nutrients. This can lead to hormonal changes that affect hunger signals. Despite its significant weight loss, gastric bypass is the most complex of all bariatric procedures, involving three steps: stomach stapling, small intestine division, and upper small intestine relocation.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, also known as gastric sleeve surgery, is one of the most popular bariatric procedures. It decreases the size of the stomach and food intake, thereby reducing the production of intestinal hormones like GLP1 that stimulate hunger and metabolism and increase blood glucose.
Adjustable gastric banding (AGB) is a surgery done on patients where an artificial kind of pouch is created at the top of the stomach to hold a small amount of food as the opening to the stomach is closed up with a band around it. This procedure significantly reduces the intake of calories and nutrients. It can be adjusted by making the opening smaller or wider according to the preference of the patient; hence, it is one of the least invasive procedures of bariatric surgery.
The most suitable gastric surgery type will depend on the patient’s current health condition, BMI (body mass index), and specific needs.
Indications of Bariatric Surgery
In general, the obesity surgery is recommended to the individual in the following cases:
- BMI ≥ 37.5 or over 100 pounds overweight.
- BMI ≥ 32.5 with obesity-related co-morbid conditions such as T2DM (type-2 diabetes mellitus), hypertension, sleep apnea, respiratory disorders, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, lipid abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, or cardiovascular diseases.
- Failure to achieve sustained healthy weight loss with previous attempts at weight loss.
Don’t let obesity control your life.
Benefits of Bariatric Surgery in Obese Patients
There are significant advantages of bariatric surgery in obese patients; some of them are as follows:
- Reduced mortality rate: Bariatric surgery decreases the mortality rate among obese patients.
- Remission or cure of obesity-related conditions: Most bariatric surgery patients can recover or cure several obesity-related conditions.
- Successful long-term weight loss: More than 90% of patients retain at least 50% of the weight loss after the surgery.
- Enhanced metabolism: The patient increases physical activity and decreases stress hormones, thus enhancing fat burning and fat storage.
- Quality of life: Patients who undergo the surgery have reported enhanced mobility, reduced depression, improved self-esteem, social interaction, and sexual function.
- Lower risk of some cancers: Cancer is less likely to develop, especially colon, breast, and endometrial cancers.
Obesity Treatment
Weight reduction treatment aims to maintain a healthy weight, improve general health, and reduce the complications. It may include cooperation with doctors in modifying eating and activity habits. A modest initial goal is weight loss associated with greater benefits. The choice of treatment will depend on the patient’s weight, health, and willingness.
- Dietary management: To combat obesity, adopt healthy eating habits and reduce calorie intake. A standard weight loss diet of 1,200–1,500 calories for women and 1,500–1,800 for men should be followed. Consume larger portions of fruits and vegetables, plant-based foods, lean protein, and lean meats. Avoid high-carb or full-fat foods, processed foods, and fast foods.
- Behavioral therapy A behavior modification program can guide a person to lose weight and keep it off by changing lifestyles. Counseling with a mental health professional may be needed to correct emotional and behavioral issues associated with eating, while support groups provide friendship and understanding as individuals face similar challenges. Such programs are available from healthcare teams, hospitals, or weight-loss programs.
- Exercise and activities: Obesity treatment requires regular exercise, such as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, to prevent further weight gain or maintain weight loss. Gradually increase exercise intensity as fitness improves. Extra movement, such as parking farther from store entrances and using stairs instead of elevators, can also help burn calories. Gradually increase daily steps.
- Weight loss surgeries: Weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, limits one’s oral and caloric intake and may cause nutritional or vitamin deficits. The surgeries are varied but include adjustable banding of the stomach, a gastric bypass procedure, and a gastric sleeve, as discussed above. Results from any of these types of procedures rely on dedication to continuous life changes concerning eating patterns and exercise.
Apart from this, robotic bariatric surgery, which itself is a very minimally invasive foray into weight loss surgery, is being performed with robotic technology in order to carry out very fine and complicated surgical procedures so that it can make smaller incisions, cause less pain, and reduce the time taken to recover when compared to traditional open surgery. This advanced operation permits a degree of accuracy and control previously unavailable to the surgeon, giving him or her an opportunity to perform the most complex operation in as much detail as he would want and be able to accomplish it with much greater accuracy.
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When to Seek Medical Appointment for Bariatric Surgery?
Look for an appointment if you
- Have a BMI of 40 or above.
- Have a BMI between 35 and above and have obesity-linked medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
- Failed to lose the weight on diet and exercise.
- Motivated to lose weight and make long-term lifestyle modifications after undergoing surgery.
One should seek a bariatric surgeon’s appointment to see if they qualify for surgery. The surgeon’s would assess the overall health, weight, and lifestyle to give you the best recommendation.
Conclusion
Bariatric surgery is an important option for people dealing with severe obesity. In improving the metabolic health and underlying causes of weight gain, it can improve quality of life significantly. If you’re considering bariatric surgery, consult a qualified bariatric surgeon first to determine whether it is appropriate for you.
Yashoda Hospitals provides advanced bariatric surgery, including robotic-assisted bariatric procedures, offering smaller incisions, reduced pain, and faster recovery times, thanks to experienced surgeons using advanced technology. Our experienced bariatric surgeons are dedicated to helping patients achieve their weight loss goals and improve their overall health.
Have any questions or concerns about your health? We’re here to help! Call us at +919513262681 for expert advice and support.
