Weight Loss Surgery Options

The society that we live in has played a major role in urging the need to become health conscious and the increasing concern about weight gain is no exception. While exercising and eating right are the best ways to lose weight, people look for various other weight loss options, ranging from dieting to elective weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery is increasingly becoming an alternative to reduce weight, especially obesity. Since obesity causes various serious health problems like hypertension, gall bladder disease, diabetes and high cholesterol, surgical options have turned out to be the most sought-after solution to lose the extra kilos easily. There are different weight loss surgery options that can immensely improve a person’s quality of life. Read on further to know the surgical solutions available for obesity.

 

 

The stomach is surgically divided into two parts through surgical staples, where the upper part is smaller than the lower part. The small size of the upper part limits the entry for food. The food passes into the lower part through a small opening, which is tied around with a band preventing it from stretching. Vertical banded gastroplasty includes various risks like wearing of the band and breakdown of the staple lines. In some cases, it can also lead to death due to leakage of stomach juices into the abdomen.

 

A small pouch is created by tying an inflatable band around the stomach. This creates a narrow passage to the remaining part of the stomach, causing an early feeling of fullness, thereby limiting the consumption of food. The band is exclusively meant for severely obese people, who have failed to lose weight, despite trying supervised diet and exercise. Though the band is fitted to remain in place permanently, it can be removed if required. People wearing a lap-band have to follow a strict diet, along with exercise to maintain their weight. However, laparoscopic gastric banding has some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, band slippage and pouch enlargement.

 

A small stomach pouch is created by using surgical staples to make the stomach smaller in size. The pouch is connected to the middle part of the small intestine. Food consumed passes through the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, finally ending into the middle part of the small intestine through a small opening. The amount of food consumed is limited, thereby reducing the calories and nutrients absorbed by the body. The major risk for people who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a dumping syndrome, where the contents of the stomach move rapidly through the small intestine. Symptoms of dumping syndrome include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness and diarrhea. Other side effects can be infection, leaking, pulmonary embolism, gallstones and nutrition deficiency.

 

The amount of food is restricted by removing a large part of the stomach. A small pouch that remains is directly connected to the small intestine. As a result, the food mixes with bile and pancreatic digestive juices in the common channel, before entering the colon. When food is consumed by the body, the calories and nutrients are routed into colon, thus inducing weight loss. Due to the higher risk of nutrition deficiency, this method is less frequently used than other surgery options.