What You Should Know About Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery

By Sarah Johnson


A number of methods can be used to achieve weight loss. The most widely used options in New York involve the making of lifestyle changes including the adoption of healthier diets and engagement in regular physical exercise. These methods are safe and effective for a majority of people. Their main undoing is the fact that they take too long to work and may not be appropriate if one needs to shade off a significant proportion of their weight rapidly. Bariatric weight loss surgery is often the option in such cases.

Bariatric surgical operations are also known as restrictive operations. This is because they generally work by limiting the amount of food that the stomach can hold at any given point in time. Less nutrients are delivered to the body tissues. Most of these nutrients are used in the provision of energy with very few calories ending up as stored fat. The end result is rapid loss of weight.

Gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy are the main forms of bariatric operations offered in most centers. There is a difference in the manner in which each of them is performed but the effect is largely the same (both result in a significant reduction in the stomach volume). The main difference between them is that gastric banding can be reversed while sleeve gastrectomy cannot.

Gastric banding is performed by placing a silicon based band on the stomach upper portion (also known as fundus). This is achieved through minimal surgical access using an instrument known as a laparoscope. The incisions made are quite small hence there is rarely any need to worry about excessive bleeding or unsightly scars later on. The lower stomach portion forms a small pouch whose capacity is about an ounce of food.

The band is usually continuous with a plastic tubing accessible from an area under the skin. The role of this tube is to help adjust the stomach size from time to time whenever the need arises. Injection of sterile water into the tubing increases the pressure on the stomach which in turn reduces the capacity even further. Drawing the water, on the other hand, releases the pressure and increases the capacity as a result.

One may suffer from a number of side effects after undergoing this surgery. They include nausea, vomiting, aversion to food, minor bleeding and infections. One of the interventions that can be used to reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting is through reducing the compression by the band so that the stomach size is slightly increased. Readjustments can then be done slowly until the desired size is attained.

Sleeve gastrectomy involves surgical resection of the stomach with the aim of reducing its size. After the operation only 20 to 25% is left. The structure that is left is more tubular which reduces the transit time of food. Reduced absorption of nutrients, therefore, occurs due to two main reasons: the increased transit time and the reduced intake of food. Side effects here are similar to those of banding.

Recovering from the operation takes just a few weeks. One can resume their regular diet after about two weeks. The results vary from one person to another due to a number of factors. These include the surgical technique used, the magnitude of the problem, complications and so on. To increase the chances of success, you will be well advised to adopt a change in lifestyle as well.




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