Obesity can be a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. Millions of Americans are considered obese, and many of those millions are morbidly obese. Obesity becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions or serious diseases that can result either in significant physical disability or even death.

Weight loss surgery is major surgery. Its growing use to treat obesity and morbid obesity is the result of three factors: our current knowledge of the significant health risks of morbid obesity, the relatively low risk and complications of the procedures versus not having surgery, and the ineffectiveness of current non-surgical approaches to produce sustained weight loss. The materials found here will provide valuable information on the benefits and risks of weight loss surgery. However, the best way to get a full assessment of your condition is to schedule a consultation to determine if weight loss surgery may be an option for you.

Benefits From Surgery

For Type 2 Diabetes, gastric bypass surgery lowers insulin resistance. The reduction of excessive body weight over time decrease strain on the heart, reducing high blood pressure and risks for heart disease. Lowered body weight can lessen dyslipidemia and lower high cholesterol. Regarding osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints, as less weight is placed on joints, the strain placed on these joints is reduced. Weight loss, in conjunction with counseling, contributes to mental health improvement and combats depression. Sleep apneas and respiratory problems can result from excessive body weight increasing the fat deposits in the tongue and neck.

Bariatric surgery also decreases the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease by reducing the amount of stomach acid produced. Uncontrollable urine loss is improved when less weight is placed on the bladder. Having an ideal body weight helps relieve asthma and pulmonary conditions which may have developed. Bariatric surgery has been found to resolve conditions such as PCOS and hypertension, that may interfere with pregnancies. In addition, reproductive health is improved when less weight is placed on reproductive organs.

SURGICAL PROCEDURES

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

This technique and method have been refined in order to produce the maximum sustained weight loss. Modification of silastic ring placement around the pouch to enhance the efficacy of this procedure is a viable option.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

A band is placed around the uppermost part of the stomach, separating the stomach into one small and large portion. In this procedure, the band can be adjusted to increase or decrease restriction, and digestion and absorption are normal. In a U.S. study, the mean weight loss in three years after surgery was 36.2 percent of excess weight.

Vertical Ring Gastroplasty

Vertical Ring Gastroplasty, or Stomach Stapling was widely performed in the United States and is currently replaced by Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. It is a technically simple operation, accomplished by stapling the upper stomach to create a small pouch, about the size of 2 tablespoonful into which food flows after it is swallowed. The outlet of this pouch is restricted by a silastic ring, which slows its emptying.

Biliopancreatic Bypass

This operation involves removal of approximately 2/3 of the stomach, and re-arrangement of the intestinal tract so that the digestive enzymes are diverted away from the food stream, until very late in its passage through the intestine. It then reconnects the remaining stomach to the very last portion of the intestines, while bypassing most of the absorption power: this procedure naturally has the potential to cause malabsorption. The effect is to selectively reduce absorption of fats and starches, while allowing near-normal absorption of protein, and of sugars.