Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For You?

Unless you live in a closet you've probably heard about or know someone that has had weight loss surgery to lose weight. Weight loss surgery is becoming increasingly popular as the population around the world continues to expand its girth. But, is weight loss surgery really the right choice for you?

Overview Weight Loss Surgery
Often people lose control over their dieting and eating habits to the point where they develop severe obesity. In some cases individuals have become so obese they are not able to leave their homes.

Often these individuals find the benefits of weight loss surgery outweigh the many risks. Weight loss surgery, as with any major surgery, is invasive and does come with risk. Thanks to modern medicine there are different types of weight loss surgery available to obese patients that need to lose weight.

The most traditional form of weight loss or obesity surgery involves changing the size and/or shape of the stomach to reduce the amount of food a person can eat. You may have heard of "gastric bypass surgery", one of many forms of weight loss surgery. Typically only patient's doctors diagnose as grossly obese or patients with various health complications from their obesity undergo gastric bypass surgery as an attempt to lose weight.

The idea behind surgery is once the patient starts to lose weight, they will gain greater mobility and hence, begin a healthier lifestyle that includes smart food choices and daily exercise.

Gastric Bypass or Bariatric Surgery?
Most people use the term gastric bypass and bariatric surgery similarly; gastric bypass surgery is actually a "type" of bariatric surgery that can lead to rapid weight loss in obese patients. Bariatric surgery is a broader term that encompasses many types of surgery that work to help people lose weight by changing the shape or size of the digestive system or stomach.

During a gastric bypass procedure, a surgeon would carve a tiny pouch at the top of the stomach and then add a bypass over part of the stomach and small intestine. Then the stomach is stapled so only part of the stomach is functional or capable of breaking down foods for energy or fuel. The small intestine is then connected to the small pouch the surgeon has made rather than the rest of the stomach, so the shape and size of the stomach is reduced enough to result in caloric constriction.

Often during gastric bypass the surgeon can reduce the size of your stomach by more than half; this means you can eat roughly the size of a large shot glass worth of food. What happens to the other part of your stomach? If lucky it generally sits and provides digestive juices that mix with the food passing through to your small intestine.

Other types of bariatric surgery involve the placement of a ring around part of the stomach so the size and shape of the stomach are reduced but not permanently by using staples.

What Happens After Bariatric Surgery?
Typically patients must avoid eating for up to three days following surgery so the interior of the stomach has time to heal.

Following this most patients follow a doctor-prescribed diet that may begin with liquids, broths, baby foods and similar soft substances until you are able to eat normal foods comfortably.

Most people need to eat often throughout the day to get the nutrients they need. If you overeat, your body will react by purging the food, because your stomach no longer has the ability to hold more than one ounce of food at a time. With time this changes, and you are able to eat more food. Many people undergoing this surgery realize rapid changes in their weight during the first few months following surgery.

So, how do you know if surgery is right for you? Surgery may be an option for grossly obese patients at risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, reflux and sleep apnea. Many conditions including cardiovascular disease can be fatal, which is one reason people undergo bariatric surgery.

There are however risks, and it is critical you understand these risks and review them with your doctor before you decide whether to undergo surgery. Some of the more commonly reported risks include excessive bleeding post-op, infection, anesthetic reactions, blood clots or DVT, and death.

The chance of death is roughly one per 200 surgeries according to the CDC. For some patient however, obesity itself may be more of a risk factor for death than the surgery. Make sure you consult with your physician before deciding if gastric bypass, LAP-BAND gastric surgery or other bariatric surgeries may benefit you in the short and long-term.