If you are an overweight or obese person that is contemplating going for weight loss surgery, you must be aware of the advantages and the potential risks of going for such operations.
In this article I am not going to recommend that you should or should not go for any type of surgery, I am just going to lay down the facts before you and leave you to decide for yourself.
Here are four main types of surgeries that can be used to shed excess body weight:
1-Gastric Banding
This is the safest kind of fat loss surgery. In this type of surgery, the surgeon makes use of an inflatable band placed around the upper portion of the stomach to partition the stomach into two sections; a small upper pouch and a large lower pouch.
This band reduces the diameter of the connecting channel between these two pouches thus slowing down the rate at which food empties into the lower pouch; this reduces the rate at which you can consume food and it also reduces the size of foods that can you can eat.
Pros of Gastric Banding
-It rarely ever results in life threatening complications.
-It is a reversible procedure; the band can be removed later if you so desire.
-It requires a very short hospital stay (less than 1 day of hospital stay)
-It does not lead to reduced absorption of other essential nutrients because it does not involve the cutting of any part of the intestine.
Cons of Gastric Banding
-It is commonly associated with vomiting especially if you do not limit your consumption of food after the operation.
-The bands might slip out of position or become very loose.
-This surgery is not a quick fix; if you want to achieve your fitness and fat loss goals with this surgery, you have to combine this operation with adequate diet changes and exercise.
-Most insurance companies do not back up this procedure.
2-Gastric Bypass
This is the commonest type of weight loss surgery which can be carried out either as a minimally invasive surgery or as an open surgery. In this type of operation, the surgeon cuts off about 1 ounce of the upper section of the stomach to make a 20 -30 cc pouch which is then connected directly to the lower part of the small intestine.
This results in the creation of a short cut for the flow of food by bypassing a large section of the stomach and a section of the small intestine.
Pros of Gastric Bypass
-It results in a quick and dramatic weight loss; you could lose up to 50% of your excess body weight within six months after the surgery.
-Most insurance companies sanction this operation.
Cons of Gastric Bypass
-It can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies as the absorption of essential minerals like calcium and iron is greatly reduced and you will need to be on multivitamins, vitamin B12, calcium, and iron supplements for life.
-It commonly causes what is known medically as the "dumping syndrome" in which food is dumped into the small intestine at a very fast rate without proper digestion of the food (about 8 to 9 people that go for this procedure experience this dumping syndrome). Symptoms of this dumping syndrome include nausea, bloating, weakness, pain, and diarrhoea.
-There is a minor but present risk of serious risk of serious post surgery complications like infection and blood clots.
-The rapid weight loss induced by this surgery could trigger the formation of gallstones.
3-Vertical Gastrectomy
In this operation that is performed via a laparoscope, the surgeon cuts off about 75% of the stomach leaving only a narrow tube or sleeve of the stomach which is still connected to the upper part of the small intestine. This procedure does not involve the bypassing or cutting off of any section of the small intestine.
Pros of Vertical Gastrectomy
-It can be carried out on very obese and sick people.
-It causes a significant reduction in the amount of foods that you can eat.
-It does not affect the absorption of essential nutrients and minerals.
-It is not associated with dumping.
-It can be combined with other fat loss surgeries which can be performed as second line procedures.
Cons of Vertical Gastrectomy
-It can lead to nausea and vomiting
-There is a high possibility of weight regain if you do make essential lifestyle and dietary modifications after the operation.
-Because this procedure is relatively new, the long term results of this procedure have not been verified.
-It could result in leakage and other surgical risks like infection and blood clots.
-Most insurance companies will only back up selected cases for this procedure.
4-Vertical Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch
In this operation the surgeon also cuts off a large portion (about 75%) of the stomach leaving only a small pouch or sleeve of the stomach which empties into the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).
The duodenum is then connected directly to the last 6 feet of the small intestine after the remaining part of the small intestine is cut off. This results in a small sleeve of the stomach transporting food into a shortened small intestine thus reducing the passage time and absorption of food by the intestines.
Pros of Vertical Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch
-It restricts the volume of food that you can consume at a time.
Cons of Vertical Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch
-Patients tend to lose too much weight and they tend to develop nutritional problems associated with poor absorption.
-Consumption of fatty foods often leads to diarrhoea and passage of foul smelling gas and stool.
-Patients must be on multivitamin, calcium, iron and vitamins A, B, E and K supplements for life.
-It requires a lengthy post operative rest period of 2-3 weeks before you will be able to return to work.
-It has the highest incidence of post surgical complications amongst the different fat loss surgeries and most companies will not back up this surgery.
So, if you are considering going for a weight loss surgery you must discuss all your options, potential risks, and likely outcomes with your surgeon before you go for the operation.
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