Weight Loss Surgery--The Benefits and Pitfalls You Should Be
Aware of
Being overweight is difficult, and that is not just because
people look down on larger individuals. It is also difficult to
find attractive clothes, make large purchases, enjoy good
health, play sports, and do all of the things so many others can
do easily and with little effort. Fortunately, for those
individuals who are overweight and cannot seem to find a way to
lose the weight through dieting or exercise, then weight loss
surgery might be a viable option. There are a wide variety of
weight loss surgery options available as well, so individuals
interested in these procedures must do their research, talk to
their doctors, and think long and hard about the best procedure
for them. Of course, individuals should weigh the risks and
benefits and make the wisest choice regarding going ahead with
weight loss surgery in the light of these results.
The Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery
First of all, there are many benefits of weight loss surgery.
The most basic of them being weight loss. Individuals who have
any of the weight loss surgeries lose a significant amount of
weight most of the time. Of course, there are some individuals
who do not benefit from weight loss surgeries, but the majority
of individuals do lose weight. When individuals lose weight
there are many benefits including lower blood pressure,
decreased risk for heart disease and diabetes, increased self
esteem, self confidence and many other benefits as well. So, if
you are considering any of the weight loss surgery options you
now know the benefits that you will more than likely receive.
However, weight loss surgery will not necessarily change the way
others feel about you and this is not a good reason to go
through with the surgery. Additionally, you should not rely on
weight loss surgery to do all the work for you. Instead, you
should go into the surgery with a plan for a healthy diet and
exercise afterwards as well.
The Drawbacks of Weight Loss Surgery Any time you have surgery
there are drawbacks and risks you should keep in mind. While
many times the risks are not high, sometimes they are, and
should be considered accordingly. Infection, internal bleeding,
deep vein thrombosis, anesthesia complications, ulcers,
pulmonary problems, removal of spleen, and other complications
may arise during or after your weight loss surgery. There are
other complications as well that might apply to your personal
situation and only your doctor can inform you of these. There is
a risk of the surgery not going as planned, not being
successful, or even not being performed due to problems
encountered at the start of surgery. Death is even a risk when
weight loss surgery is performed, although it is a slim risk for
most individuals. Obviously, all of these risks should be
carefully considered before choosing to undergo weight loss
surgery.
Types of Weight Loss Surgery
There are many types of weight loss surgery and the American
Society of Bariatric Society notes two particular types of
procedures that are used. One of these procedures is to decrease
the amount of food an individual eats and the other type of
procedure is to simply alter the way food is digested.
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty is a procedure that is also known
as gastric bypass. Basically, gastric bypass surgery involves
stapling the stomach smaller so that food enters slower and that
the individual eats less. A gastric band is also used on the
stomach's outlet to regulate the amount of food leaving the
stomach.
Another type of bariatric surgery includes laparoscopic
adjustable gastric banding. This procedure uses a gastric band
to partially close off the upper portion of the stomach. This
allows the individual to feel full faster and eat less, thus
losing weight. The gastric band is really helpful in this
procedure.
Other types of malabsorptive procedures include the
biliopancreatic diversion, extended gastric bypass, combined
gastric bypass, as well as others. Each of these procedures have
their own risks and benefits, some use gastric bands while
others use a lap band, gastric band, or a mixture of procedures.
Deciding on the Procedure for You
Unless you are a doctor there is no way you can decide which
procedure will be best for you. You might have a friend that was
successful with one type of procedure and another who failed
with a different one, however these success and failure rates
with others are not necessarily the best information to base
your decision on. You need to meet with your doctor, evaluate
your health and past history as well as your expectations, and
then your doctor will recommend the procedure that is best for
you. Of course, you are welcome to get a second opinion or more
if you want, but generally the surgeon knows what will be best
for you. So, if you believe the benefits outweigh the risks go
ahead and have gastric bypass or bariatric surgery and finally
lose that weight. If the risks outweigh the benefits there are
still many weight loss options out there you can try.