Weight loss surgery is a surgical procedure that helps patients to lose weight.
This procedure involves restructuring the digestive system in order to cause the patients to lose weight. Sometime called stomach stapling or lap banding, the procedure decreases the volume of food that the stomach can hold at one time. Sometimes the restriction can be to one quarter cup to one third cup of food.
Since the stomach’s size is smaller the patient feels full after only a few bites of food. Thus, the patient’s intake of calories is reduced and he or she loses weight.
Some of the surgeries also include the restructuring of the large intestine. This restructuring lowers the calories actually absorbed into the system. Patients with this option will lose weight at an even faster rate.
Weight loss surgery is not for the person who wants to lose a few pounds. Normally only the morbidly obese are candidates for this surgery. A person’s body mass index must be over 30 to qualify. This means that he or she is at least one hundred pounds overweight.
Weight loss surgery is not without complications. As with any surgery, some of these complications can be very serious and can even cause death. Some of the possible complications include blood clots, blood loss and problems with anesthesia.
There are also some serious sided effects from weight loss surgery. Since the volume of food that is taken in is so small, patients may miss out on certain needed vitamins and minerals. Patients should take vitamins daily in order to alleviate this problem. In the procedure where a portion of the bowel is removed, patients may have difficulty absorbing iron and may become anemic.
Before having this surgery, there are some procedures that should be done. Since it will no longer be possible to do a proper upper GI series after the surgery, many surgeons order this test prior to the surgery.
When large amounts of weight are lost, patients have trouble with hanging skin. This skin sometimes has to be removed by a second surgery. This surgery also has risks associated with it.
The advantages of the surgery are that it allows patients who may have been unable to lose weight and keep it off in the past to do so. In addition, weight related problems may be diminished. Persons suffering from back pain may find relief. Type two diabetics may find that their diabetes becomes diet controlled as they lose weight.
Weigh loss surgery is a serious decision.