Weight Loss Surgery: Be Informed

Of all the medically recommended treatments for substantially overweight people, surgery is the most severe. Also known as gastrointestinal or bariatric surgery, this procedure is reserved for cases of severe obesity that have been resistant to all other methods of weight loss and weight control. There are two basic types of bariatric surgery, each with a different purpose.  The risks for both are similar, as are the prospective results and outcome.

Restrictive Weight Loss Surgery

The first type of bariatric weight loss surgery is 'restrictive'. It includes the well-known procedure of 'stomach stapling'. The purpose of restrictive surgery is to restrict the amount of food that can be eaten at one time. Doctors create a small pouch at the top of the stomach that holds about one ounce of food, with a small opening at the bottom to hold food in the pouch and cause a feeling of fullness. After the surgery, a patient can eat no more than 3/4 cup to a cup of well-chewed bland food at a time without becoming nauseous. The ultimate goal of this type of surgery is to reduce the amount of food eaten by restricting the amount of food that can be eaten at once.

Other forms of restrictive surgery include the process of 'lap banding'. In this procedure, the pouch is created by wrapping a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. Since there isn't a need to cut into the stomach or intestine, the complication rate is lower than in standard restrictive surgery, and the recovery period is shorter.
 
The second type of bariatric surgery for weight loss is the 'malabsorptive' variety. These surgeries are the more common type of surgery for treating of obesity. The most well-known of the procedures is the 'gastric bypass'. The purpose of gastric bypass and other types of bypass surgery is to prevent the effective absorption of nutrients from food eaten by 'bypassing' most of the intestine in the food's path through the body. The malabsorption results in significant weight loss and a reduction of appetite.
 
The possible side effects of gastric bypass surgery include:

• Stomach ulcers
  
• Chronic diarrhea
  
• Flatulence and foul-smelling stools
  
• Risk of nutritional and micro-nutritional deficiencies
  
• Dumping syndrome - symptoms include nausea, faintness, fainting, sweating and diarrhea after eating

Patients seeking bariatric surgery are evaluated by a medical professional for suitability for the surgery. Candidates for these procedures include those who are at least 80-100 pounds overweight, and who have shown little success with traditional weight loss methods. In additions, patients who have other physical problems which require weight loss may be candidates for surgery.

If you're considering weight loss surgery, there are several factors to consider:

1. The risks of surgery are serious.
   
2. You will require lifelong medical supervision after the surgery
   
3. You will still need to make lifestyle and dietary changes.
   
4. Many health insurance plans will not cover it. 

Be sure that you choose a surgeon experienced in bariatric techniques, and that you will be provided with full physical and emotional support before, during and after the surgery.

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