Monday, April 29, 2013

The Truth About Weight Reduction Surgery

By Cherry Mercer


Bariatric or weight reduction surgery is done to help people with severe obesity lose fats. It is not recommended for everyone with obesity but only for those who have unsuccessful tried to use other traditional methods of weight reduction. People are categorized as either underweight, healthy weight or overweight considering their Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while that of 30 or more is considered as obese.

The purpose of bariatric operation is to prevent, eliminate or cure diseases related to morbid obesity. Remember, that the operation is only a tool and not a cosmetic procedure. With the help of health experts, your family and support groups you can gain numerous health benefits. Before making the decision to undergo the procedure, it is important to first know its potential benefits and risks.

The main benefit of bariatric operation is simple to understand, weight reduction. Surgery on gastric bypass causes about 50% to 61% weight loss while gastric banding results into about 47% loss of excess weight. The removal of excessive fats is in itself a major breakthrough and the beginning to resolving a number obesity related health complications that normally accompany the condition.

The surgery is also helpful to patients suffering from high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. After the procedure, about 60% of high blood pressure patients are able to stop medication while 80% report improvement to the condition. 77% of type 2 diabetes patients who are obese and chose to undergo the operation are also able to stop medications thereafter.

At the time of evaluation for the procedure, many patients are normally found to be suffering from undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. However, after bariatric operation around 65% to 95% of the patients report a resolution to the problem. Yet, that is not all because the operation also results into a significant improvement in quality of life and reduced risk of long-term death.

As mentioned before, there are also a number of risks associated with the operation that patients need to be aware of before committing themselves. Just like in any major abdominal operation, the operation carries the risks of bleeding, bowel blockage as a result of scar tissue and infection through incision. Others include the risks of hernia through incision and adverse reactions due to anesthesia.

Bariatric operations are also known to cause nutritional deficiencies due to the lack of proper absorption of valuable nutrients in the body. For example, calcium and iron cannot be effectively absorbed as food bypasses the duodenum and jejunum. Lack of vitamin B12 can also cause anemia in menstruating women. After the surgery, patients are advised to eat only as per the instructions of the doctor.

Other less serious risks that may result from a weight reduction surgery include stomach or small intestine ulcers. There is also the dumping syndrome, which may lead to diarrhea, sweating, palpitations, lightheadedness and cramps. For the restrictive only operation, vomiting is also expected especially when the stomach is overstretched with food that has not been well chewed. Even though restrictive operations lead to reduction of excessive fats in almost all patients, they are less effective than a combination of restrictive and malabsorptive operations.




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