Considering Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery

By Lisa Hayes


The comforts of a modern life have come at a price. For most people living in urban areas this problem has become a matter of grave concern. Large amounts of time and money are spent to conduct research in order to find new ways and methods that are effective in reaching the goal of significant fat reduction. Bariatric weight loss surgery is a fat reduction procedure that is performed on patients only when conservative treatments are failed. This health condition attracts a number of other problems such as diabetes, heart attack and hypertension. This problem has increased dramatically in the past decade or so with many more people gaining awareness about this problem.

Lap banding procedure involves wrapping a liquid-filled belt around the stomach that can be adjusted for tightness by adding or deducting saline through a port located under the skin's surface. The belt reduces food intake by cinching the stomach to evoke the feeling of being full. Evidence that bariatric procedure has gained significant ground since its inception more than 40 years ago can be seen in the astounding number of procedures recently performed by surgeons.

Gastric bypass procedure was named the top ranked general surgical procedure in 2008 in a 2010 study by the University of California. Gastric band procedure placed third in the rankings, which were based on coding and billing data from academic centers. Gastric bypass ranked second among surgical procedures when assessed by a number of operations performed per doctor on a yearly basis; with surgeons averaging 18.2 cases a year. Gastric banding placed fifth on the list, with surgeons performing the procedure 11.9 times a year. Bariatric procedure = Cure for type 2 diabetes?

It is therefore vital to do your research and submit to a thorough medical consultation before you make the decision to go through with the procedure. You must also consider that this procedure is not a quick-fix for your overweight condition. While there are many people who have lost a lot of fat through this procedure, it is important to know that they have done so by strictly adhering to proper diet and exercise guidelines following the procedure.

During the operation the size of the stomach or the rate at which digestion takes place gets altered. While the operation provides a good start on the road to reducing calories, patients have to continue to eat correctly and exercise to reach their ideal weight. The operation involves removing a part of person's small intestines; it reduces the absorption of calories.

Staying away from unhealthy foods and stopping the cycle of binge eating takes a lot more than willpower. It takes a mental commitment to doing it no matter what. This is why doctors determine your eligibility for this procedure based on a mental evaluation as well as physical evaluation.

The procedure can be very effective at producing fat reduction in obese patients. It involves restricting the size of the stomach so less food is eaten and changing the structure of the gut so that less amount of food is able to be eaten. However, the procedure is not an easy solution to everyone. People undergoing this procedure have to make permanent, difficult to adapt changes to their lifestyle.

The patients who are opting for this surgery should have Body Mass Index (BMI) more than 40. The patients having diseases related to obesity and having BMI more than 35 are also considered. The most usually performed Restrictive procedures are laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and vertical banded gastroplasty. Malabsorptive procedures: The bilopancreatic diversion procedures were performed using laparoscopic techniques.




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