mardi 30 avril 2013

The Truth About Weight Reduction Surgery

By Cherry Mercer


Bariatric or weight reduction surgery is done to help people with severe obesity lose fats. It is not recommended for everyone with obesity but only for those who have unsuccessful tried to use other traditional methods of weight reduction. People are categorized as either underweight, healthy weight or overweight considering their Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while that of 30 or more is considered as obese.

A bariatric operation is recommended only for patients whose BMI is above 40 and have not responded positively to exercise, diet, and weight reduction medicines. Those seeking to undergo the procedure should always be willing to work closely with health experts, counselors, nutritionists, and even support groups and family members. They should also be ready to commit themselves to permanent lifestyle change after the operation.

One of the simplest benefits of bariatric surgeries is the reduction of excessive fats. With gastric bypass surgery, around 61% of excessive fats are lost while with gastric banding surgery, about 47% of excessive weight is lost. Losing such excessive weight helps greatly in reducing by comorbidities that include many health complications like, diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer etc.

The surgery is also helpful to patients suffering from high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. After the procedure, about 60% of high blood pressure patients are able to stop medication while 80% report improvement to the condition. 77% of type 2 diabetes patients who are obese and chose to undergo the operation are also able to stop medications thereafter.

At the time of evaluation for the procedure, many patients are normally found to be suffering from undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. However, after bariatric operation around 65% to 95% of the patients report a resolution to the problem. Yet, that is not all because the operation also results into a significant improvement in quality of life and reduced risk of long-term death.

As mentioned before, there are also a number of risks associated with the operation that patients need to be aware of before committing themselves. Just like in any major abdominal operation, the operation carries the risks of bleeding, bowel blockage as a result of scar tissue and infection through incision. Others include the risks of hernia through incision and adverse reactions due to anesthesia.

Bariatric operations are also known to cause nutritional deficiencies due to the lack of proper absorption of valuable nutrients in the body. For example, calcium and iron cannot be effectively absorbed as food bypasses the duodenum and jejunum. Lack of vitamin B12 can also cause anemia in menstruating women. After the surgery, patients are advised to eat only as per the instructions of the doctor.

Dumping syndrome, which causes a number of health problems such as cramps, diarrhea, palpitations, sweating amongst others, is also another possible risk from a weight reduction surgery. These complications can always be addressed at approved weight loss centers with board-certified doctors. The facility should be adequately equipped with required instruments and enough support staff.




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