When diet and exercise do not provide the weight loss results you desire, weight loss surgery can deliver predictable results. Each year, more than half a million people worldwide undergo some sort of bariatric surgery.
If you are exploring surgical options that can help you lose weight, you came to the right place. In this article, we’ll explore the various types of bariatric surgery that are performed.
What Is Bariatric Surgery?
Weight loss surgery, bariatric, and metabolic surgery refer to the same group of surgical procedures. The various forms of surgery are designed to alter the way your body breaks down and metabolizes food.
Patients typically seek these surgical options to address a range of health problems that can include:
- Obesity
- Sleep apnea
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Many patients experience drastic weight loss and improved quality of life. Bariatric surgery can even extend your lifespan.
Doctors have continually refined bariatric surgery over the decades to the point that it is now one of the most-studied treatments in medicine. The procedures are now performed using small incisions that are minimally invasive. These techniques are known as robotic and laparoscopic surgery.
All of these advances help patients recover more quickly while experiencing minimal discomfort. Complication rates have also lowered to the point where weight loss surgery is as safe as other common surgical procedures like gallbladder removal and hip replacements.
There are many bariatric procedures that are commonly performed. All modify the stomach or intestines in some way.
The goal is to make these organs small so less food can be consumed. The surgeries also change how the body absorbs food.
Each form of surgery offers certain advantages and disadvantages. The aim of any bariatric surgery is to help individuals attain a healthy weight.
What Bariatric Surgery Options Are There?
Dr. Harold Puhalla offers several advanced bariatric surgical options. Two surgical options that patients are often aware of are gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.
Gastric bypass surgery is performed fairly frequently.
Your surgeon creates a small pouch in the upper portion of the stomach. Then the first part of the small intestine is connected to the pouch.
This changes the food stream. Since there is now a limit on the amount of food that the stomach can hold, absorption of calories is reduced.
Surgeons use sleeve gastrectomy to remove around 80% of the stomach. Surgeons create a pouch that is sometimes called a sleeve because it is tube-shaped.
Since the stomach is now smaller, it is unable to hold large quantities of food. This surgical procedure also reduces the production of a hormone that regulates appetite.
Is Bariatric Surgery Safe?
Bariatric surgery is considered to be very safe, but not everyone who is overweight or obese is a candidate for weight loss surgery. Most candidates have underlying medical conditions like chronic high blood pressure that necessitate the need for surgical interventions.
Before undergoing bariatric surgery, candidates are typically advised to try diet and exercise. Dr. Puhalla performs bariatric surgery at either Gold Coast Private Hospital or Pindara Private Hospital.
What to Expect from Bariatric Surgery
Each form of bariatric surgery requires unique surgical steps, but they all begin with a consultation and examination. Your surgeon will ensure that you do not have risk factors that could complicate surgery.
You will be given directions on how to prepare for surgery. On the day of your surgery, your anesthesiologist will administer general anesthesia that allows you to sleep through the entire procedure. You will not remember any of the steps involved in the surgical procedure.
Our surgeon performs bariatric surgeries using minimally-invasive incisions. Once your surgery is complete, you will be brought to a hospital room where you will begin recovery.
Bariatric surgery is not an outpatient procedure. Your doctor will want to observe your vitals as you initially recover. Once you have sufficiently recovered, you can continue your recovery at home.
We advise our patients to rest and have friends or relatives available to help when needed. Report any sudden increases in pain. This could be a sign of a potential complication.
Once you have recovered, you will need to follow strict dietary guidelines. These instructions to eat slowly and prioritize nutritious plant-based foods help you maximize the benefits of your bariatric procedure. After a few months, you may begin to notice significant weight loss.
Alternatives to Weight Loss Surgery
Many people find success by working with a personal trainer or nutritionist to customize an exercise or diet plan. Weight loss can be difficult to sustain. There’s no one plan that works for everyone.
Experiment with proven tips like drinking more water, adding morning or evening walks to your daily routines and saving larger portions of food for plants while cutting back on animal products.
One of the best pieces of advice is to not binge diet. Whatever regimen works for you will have to be sustainable for the rest of your life. If none of these plans work, you can consult your doctor about the possibility of surgical interventions.
Schedule Your Bariatric Surgery Today
Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective treatment for losing weight. After diet and exercise fail, many people find success using gastric bypass or another established procedure.
If you have struggled to lose weight, Dr Harald Puhalla can explain your surgical treatment options in detail. Engage us for our Bariatric Surgery Services by contacting our office online today.