Tips For Those Interested in Weight Loss Surgery
If you are having difficulty losing weight and maintain that weight loss, you may want to consider weight loss surgery.
This procedure involves restructuring the digestive system in order to cause the patients to lose weight. Sometime called stomach stapling or lap banding, the procedure decreases the volume of food that the stomach can hold at one time. Sometimes the restriction can be to one quarter cup to one third cup of food.
The smaller volume of the stomach immediately causes the patient to feel full after only a few bites of food. This smaller volume of food means less calories and thus the patient loses weight.
According to the procedure chosen, there may be a re-pluming of the large intestine. This results in even more weight loss as the nutrients form the food are not as effectively absorbed into the blood stream.
This procedure is usually reserved for patients who are morbidly obese. That means that over thirty percent of their body weight is fat. In practical terms, the person must be at least one hundred pounds over their ideal weight.
There are some complications to consider with weight loss surgery. Some of these can be very serious and can cause death. Some possible problems that can be anticipated include blood loss, blood clots and reactions to anesthesia.
After the surgery there are also some serious side effects that should be considered. Some patients have hair loss as a result of the surgery. Others have problems getting all the necessary nutrients. In particular, patients report problems with anemia. Anemia presents a whole new set of problems that have to be dealt with. Patients should be sure to take iron and B-12 supplements as prescribed by their physician.
Before the surgery you may need to have some procedures done. An upper GI is often ordered, since it cannot be done after the surgery. You may also be required to have a psychiatric evaluation and clearance from a cardiac specialist.
When large amounts of weight are lost, patients have trouble with hanging skin. This skin sometimes has to be removed by a second surgery. This surgery also has risks associated with it.
The advantages of the surgery are that it allows patients who may have been unable to lose weight and keep it off in the past to do so. In addition, weight related problems may be diminished. Persons suffering from back pain may find relief. Type two diabetics may find that their diabetes becomes diet controlled as they lose weight.
Weigh loss surgery is a serious decision.
April Kerr owns website Greg Walton MD which is all about bariatric weight loss and vitamins for bariatric patients.
