Weight Loss Surgery Benefits

Weight Loss Surgery and how it improves other health conditions

When a person wants to lose weight a natural thing for them to do is to eat less. If you felt full after eating a small amount of food surely you would eat less. This is exactly what a bariatric procedure is supposed to accomplish – making you feel full while eating less food. This is a very effective way to lose weight especially for people who struggle with weight loss.

By reducing the stomach’s capacity to store food bariatric surgery has become very popular as a means to lose weight. This procedure allows obese people, people who have struggled with weight loss all their lives, to have a chance to achieve long-term weight loss.

There are three types of bariatric surgeries that have been approved by the FDA. The gastric bypass options include the sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding and gastric plication. The sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding are the more popular options and are the majority of the weight loss surgeries that are performed in the U.S. With a body mass index (BMI) of approximately 35 or more means you may be at risk to develop other serious health issues because of the excess weight. People with a BMI of over 40 are likely candidates for the procedure.

A patient who has had the procedure would need to make some adjustments in their eating habits. This might be the hardest part of the process. Patients are advised to eat slowly and to take tiny bites of food and to chew their food well. Patients are also advised to not drink fluids while eating meals. It’s recommended that the patient drink 30 minutes prior to the meal or 30 minutes after the meal. Most people adjust quickly to this new routine as it is vital to be successful post surgery.

As a part of the process, the patient is assigned a dietician or nutritionist to advise them. The patient is counseled about nutrition and how to properly incorporate vitamins and other supplements into their diet.

Bariatric Surgery has the benefit of weight loss and this is the primary objective of the procedure, but there are more benefits than just weight loss.

Bariatric surgery - benefits of weight loss include:

Type 2 diabetes can be improved or eliminated. There have been many studies that have suggested that cases of type 2 diabetes are improved after the surgery. The procedure is highly effective for severely obese patients as it has allowed almost all of the patients to remain free of insulin and other adjunct medications for 3 years after the surgery.

Cardiovascular Health Improvement. Due to the weight loss a person experiences it is said to decrease a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, strokes and other types of heart disease. Cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels begin to normalize after the surgery.

Depression relief: Because of poor body image and self esteem issues obese people may experience bouts of depression. They may not be able to participate in activities with friends and family or even enjoy some social occasions; this may lead to social isolation and a depressed state of mind. Losing the weight can improve the outlook on life and emotional health of these patients.

May Solve sleep apnea. Patients who are severely over weight may have issues with sleeping and may have been forced to use a CPAP machine prior to the surgrey. The surgery eliminates the need for a CPAP machine in many cases.

Joint pressure and pain relief. It is common sense, with more weight on a person’s body frame then the more stress the joints experience. Excess weight and the stress on the joints over time can cause chronic pain and even damage to the joints. With significant weight loss the pressure on joints is relieved and allows patients to stop using any pain medication for this purpose.

Fertility Improvement. The surgery can improve fertility of women who are of childbearing age.

Other conditions. The procedure is also known to effect metabolic syndrome, gallbladder disease and pregnancy complications.

Because of the obesity epidemic that is rising at an alarming rate in America, bariatric procedures are a powerful tool for providing an alternative for overweight people to achieve sustained relief. Bariatric surgery is a very safe procedure when it’s done in a facility that has extensive experience in performing the surgery. The best facilities offer a team of experts that guide a patient through the entire process.

Bariatric surgery patients have the best chance of success when they are educated about the procedure prior to the surgery and have a support team post surgery. If you are seeking out advice it’s best to do your research and choose an experienced medical team.