Weight loss surgery

Surgery may be an option if behavior modification and taking medications have not helped you lose enough weight. All surgeries have risks and it is important for you and your health professional to discuss these and the benefits before deciding what is best for you. You need to be willing to change your life-style for the rest of your life. There are some benefits from surgery in addition to feeling better physically and emotionally, patients are very likely to see an improvement concerning asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis. Weight loss surgery is not a cosmetic procedure. It is not liposuction, which involves surgical suctioning out body fat. The most popular types of obesity surgery today involve reducing the size of the stomach or shortening the small intestine in order to change the way the body digests and absorbs food.

Who should go for weight loss surgery?

Being 10 pounds overweight does not make someone a candidate for obesity surgery, but being 100 pounds overweight does. Surgeons essentially use a person's Body Mass Index (BMI) as a guide. A BMI of 40 or above that is being overweight by 100 pounds for men and about 80 pounds for women indicates that a person is severely obese and therefore a suitable candidate for surgery. People with lower BMIs of between 35 and 40 also may be candidates if they have medical conditions that are adversely affected by obesity, such as diabetes, heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea. Obesity puts people at risk for a host of medical problems, including coronary artery disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Types of surgery for weight loss

Gastric Bypass Surgery: This a non-reversible procedure that makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine - resulting in you feeling fuller faster. A staple line partitions the stomach into two parts, with a very small pouch above the staple line. This tiny pouch can hold about one ounce or the size of a medicine cup. A typical hospital stay for this procedure is three to four days.

Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery: This is the least invasive surgery - often requiring only a one-night hospital stay. An inflatable silicone band is placed completely around the top portion of the stomach to constrict it. The inflatable band is connected to a small reservoir that is placed under skin in the upper abdomen. Adjustments are made by injecting or withdrawing saline through the reservoir. A small pouch with a narrow opening into the lower stomach is created. The small pouch size will make you feel full sooner. With the Adjustable Gastric Band there are no anatomical removals or rearrangements.

Fewer than 2 percent of patients suffer complications as a result of surgery. Risks include wound infections, leaks or tears around the stomach bands, ulcers, breathing problems and blood clots. After weight loss surgery, you must remain under medical supervision for the rest of your life.