What is Weight Loss Surgery?
One of the most asked question when it comes to losing weight, is if a person should or should not use surgery to lose weight. Many people who are contemplating surgery do not know if they should choose to have it. There are many risks that come with weight loss surgery.
The most common surgeries that people consider, include bariatric surgery and gastric bypass. These surgeries can help a person lose weight, but they are also associated with serious side effects including possible death and organ damage, for which you should always consult with the right person.
Bariatric surgery, is the surgical treatment aimed at drastic weight reduction, is an option chosen every year by hundreds of severely obese subjects who want to radically change their lifestyle.
This is not a choice dictated simply for aesthetic reasons, but above all for health reasons: obesity involves serious risks and shortens the life expectancy by at least 10 years.
Surgery is a viable path and is the only therapy that allows today to lose most of the overweight with a low risk of failure, that is, to regain the weight lost. However, bariatric surgery is not suitable for everyone: patients who apply for an operation of this kind must be evaluated in a multidisciplinary manner (surgeon, dietician, and psychologist) and the patient to be operated on must receive eligibility from this group of experts. dedicated.
Lose weight surgery cost
The cost of weight loss surgery varies from surgeon to surgeon. It can range from $ 15,000 to over $ 40,000, if the surgery is successful and there are no complications. If your insurance pays for this type of surgery, you will need to be pre-approved, a process that requires both your surgeon and your primary care physician to document your need for surgery. The process typically begins when you have your initial consultation with your surgeon.
What are the surgeries that can be undergone?
There are four possible interventions validated at the international level gastric band, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and biliopancreatic diversion. Indicatively, we can say that the first two are simpler and while the last 2 are a bit more complex, but the most common surgery is the gastric bypass.
This operation can reduce appetite, but it doesn’t change how much you eat. Gastric banding is another option for those who are obese. It restricts the amount you can eat by creating a tight band around your upper stomach, making it feel full quickly.
A newer type of weight loss surgery called laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy removes most of the stomach and changes how food moves through the digestive
Who can undergo surgery?
Patients aged 18 to 65 with third-degree obesity, ie with a body mass index greater than 40, or with second-degree obesity, ie with a body mass index greater than 35 but suffering from one or more related diseases to overweight: diabetes, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, severe and documented orthopedic pathologies that require weight loss.
The body mass index also referred to as BMI, is calculated by dividing the weight in kg by the square of the height expressed in meters. Beyond the physical characteristics, and evaluation of the patient must be made that also takes into account the food diet and the psychological aspects.
What does the evaluation consist of?
It is necessary to frame the general state of health of the subject, looking for the possible complications of obesity, in particular the presence and severity of metabolic, cardiac, or respiratory complications.
The evaluation must also ascertain whether the patient in the past has made at least one serious attempt (preferably more than one) at a well-conducted diet: it is essential.
It is also necessary to investigate its relationship with food, the possible presence of psychological disorders, and the patient’s ability/willingness to collaborate. If it is considered suitable, the most suitable surgical intervention is evaluated.
What are the risks?
People who are obese or overweight have a higher risk of developing a number of diseases. These include diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
The surgery to lose weight is a surgical procedure that is done by doctors to help people get rid of the excess fat in their body. It can be done through different methods like liposuction, gastric bypass surgery, and sleeve gastrectomy.
The risks associated with the surgery to lose weight are:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Scarring
- Nerve damage
- Death
What are the benefits?
“The surgery option today is truly the only one available to those who have to lose a lot of weight – explains Dr. Marinari. – The advantage is that the weight that is usually lost is not regained, also because, for example, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass reduce hunger and therefore lead to eating less spontaneously.
If we take a hundred people with a BMI equal to or greater than 40 who follow a weight loss diet, exercise, and are followed by psychological support, on average only 10 of these manage to lose 10% of their body weight and maintain the result for five years. The other 90 fail or lose a lot more kilos but then get them back.
In the case of bariatric surgery, the numbers are reversed: the vast majority obtain a lasting result because you get a weight loss that also brings a fundamental change in lifestyle that otherwise would not be so easy to achieve.
Alongside weight loss, the disappearance of most associated diseases (diabetes, arterial hypertension, sleep apnea, dyslipidemia) is also observed: in practice the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is reduced by 50%, as is the risk of getting sick in some forms of cancer linked to excess adipose tissue.
Recovery from weight loss surgery
Once the surgery is done, the real work begins. The surgeon will have many guidelines to follow in order to lose weight and keep it off. Recovery instructions vary greatly between procedures and surgeons, following them to the letter will give you the best chance of achieving exceptional long-term results.
Managing your recovery from surgery
The time it takes for you to get over bariatric surgery will rely on your overall health and what procedure you’ve had. the majority who have gastric band surgery will need per week or two off work. For gastric sleeve surgery or gastric bypass surgery, the general public need two to four weeks before they’ll return to figure.
You’ll also have to take some precautions to scale back the danger of complications:
Follow your doctor’s instructions. Your doctor will offer you specific instructions on bathing and swimming, what proportion weight you’ll lift and what variety of exercise is safe to try to to as you heal.
Pain relief. You’ll incline pain relief medicine to require reception. Plan for somebody to assist you get around, since you won’t be ready to drive or use heavy machinery while you’re taking these.
Stick to a diet. During the primary week or two after your surgery you’ll must keep on with a diet. confer with your doctor about a way to slowly transition back to eating solid foods over the subsequent few months.
Warning signs to look at out for
Over the subsequent days and weeks after your surgery, it’s important to appear out for any signs of a complication or infection. Contact your surgeon immediately if you experience:
- Abdominal pain
- Racing heart
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Fever (temperature above 38°C)
- Pus or liquid coming from the wound, or redness in this area
- Pain, swelling or redness in your calf.
If you’ve got diabetes, there’s a risk that your glucose levels could drop too low. this can be hypoglycaemia and is more common if you’re taking insulin or insulin releasing pills. Contact your doctor if you experience:
- Shaking, trembling or weakness
- Sweating
- Paleness
- Hunger
- Light headedness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Pins and needles around mouth
- Mood change
