What You Should Know About Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery

By Sarah Johnson


There are numerous methods that can be used in losing weight by New York residents. The most widely used are dietary changes and engagement in physical exercise. While these are effective and safe in most people, they tend to take quite long. They may not be appropriate for a person that intends to shed off extra pounds for a special occasion within a short period of time. Bariatric weight loss surgery is an option in this case.

Bariatric surgical operations are also known as restrictive operations. This is because they generally work by limiting the amount of food that the stomach can hold at any given point in time. Less nutrients are delivered to the body tissues. Most of these nutrients are used in the provision of energy with very few calories ending up as stored fat. The end result is rapid loss of weight.

The main types of bariatric surgeries that are performed are sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding. Although the two are fundamentally different, the end results is largely the same. They both cause a significant reduction in the functional size of the stomach which in turn reduces the amount of food eaten. One of the major differences is that banding can be reversed while sleeve gastrectomy is permanent and cannot be reversed.

To perform gastric banding, a silicon band is put on the upper portion of the stomach (fundus). By compressing this part, the stomach is reduced to a small pouch that holds just about an ounce of food. An instrument known as a laparoscope makes it possible to conduct the operation with minimal access. The use of small incisions means that the resultant scars will not be prominent.

The band is usually continuous with a plastic tubing accessible from an area under the skin. The role of this tube is to help adjust the stomach size from time to time whenever the need arises. Injection of sterile water into the tubing increases the pressure on the stomach which in turn reduces the capacity even further. Drawing the water, on the other hand, releases the pressure and increases the capacity as a result.

There are a number of complications that may result from this operation. Those that are encountered most commonly include nausea, vomiting, aversion to food, bleeding and infections. Some of the symptoms can be relieved by adjusting the compression exerted by the band. Once the symptoms have subsided, the pressure can be increased gradually once more to reduce the stomach to the desired size.

Sleeve gastrectomy involves surgical resection of the stomach with the aim of reducing its size. After the operation only 20 to 25% is left. The structure that is left is more tubular which reduces the transit time of food. Reduced absorption of nutrients, therefore, occurs due to two main reasons: the increased transit time and the reduced intake of food. Side effects here are similar to those of banding.

Recovery from the operations typically takes a few weeks. A liquid diet is recommended for about two weeks after which you can resume your normal diet. Results vary from one patient to another depending on a number of factors that include the initial weight, surgical skills of your doctor, technique employed and so on. Combining the surgery with lifestyle options achieves even better results.




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