Erectile dysfunction is just one of the medical conditions associated with obesity. There is a long list of life-threatening medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, orthopedic problems, gall bladder disease and sleep apnea. Many of these conditions are reversible in severely obese adults, but only after losing a significant amount of weight. Research presented recently at the 103rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) shows that weight loss can in fact resolve sexual dysfunction in men. Morbid obesity can cause sexual dysfunction independent of other common confounders, including diabetes, hypertension and smoking. In this study from researchers in Boston and Philadelphia, sexual function was normalized in some men who underwent gastric bypass surgery for weight loss.



In this study, 95 patients undergoing gastric bypass for weight loss completed the Brief Sexual Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-operatively. On average, BSI scores improved in all categories, including sexual drive, erectile function, ejaculatory function, problem assessment and sexual satisfaction. The amount of weight lost predicted the degree of improvement in all areas of the survey. Results were then compared to data from the Olmstead County Study of Urinary Health Status Survey, a community-based prospective study often used as a baseline for study comparison. After an average of 67 percent weight loss post-bypass, BSI scores were comparable to patients in the Olmstead Study.

The most common bariatric surgery Los Angeles performed is the Roux-en-Y (gastric bypass surgery Los Angeles). This is surgery that simultaneously seals off most of the stomach to decrease the amount of food one can eat, and rearranges the small intestine to reduce the calories the bodies can absorb.

Laparoscopic gastric banding is a purely restrictive operation. The ASGB device is a band with an inflatable balloons connected to a reservoir implanted underneath the skin. The LAP-BAND® system (BioEnterics Corporation, Carpentaria, CA) has been available in Europe, Australia, and South America and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States in June 2001.

The advantages of laparoscopic LAP-BAND surgery compared to laparoscopic gastric bypass include a shorter operative time, relative ease of performance, no stapling or transection of the stomach, the stomach size can be adjusted, and it is reversible. Disadvantages of laparoscopic ASGB may include slower weight loss than the Gastric Bypass.

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