Bariatric surgery is a form of weight-loss surgery offered at West Medical. It is an option for certain obese persons who have failed to reduce weight using other approaches.
If you are morbidly obese or have an obesity-related health concern, your healthcare professional may consider bariatric surgery with you. Diabetes, sleep apnea, asthma, high blood pressure, and arthritis are examples. Diabetes and other health issues may improve with weight loss.
There are several bariatric surgery techniques. Several variables will influence which form of bariatric surgery is best for you. These include your overall health, medical demands, and personal preferences.
What kinds of bariatric surgery are there?
Gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and adjustable gastric banding are the most common types of bariatric surgery.
Lap banding
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is another name for lap banding. During lap banding, your surgeon will wrap an adjustable band across the top of your stomach. A little device known as a port is also implanted beneath the skin of your stomach by your surgeon. A tiny tube connects the band to the port.
Fluid is pumped into the port and passes to the band, tightening its grip on the top of the stomach. If the band is excessively tight, fluid may be withdrawn via the port to relax it. The ring around your stomach limits the quantity of food you can consume at one time.
Gastric bypass
Another typical form of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass. It is also known as a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This procedure also limits the quantity of food you may consume at one time. It also limits the calories and nutrients you can absorb from your meal. During gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon separates a portion of your stomach to form a tiny pouch.
After that, the pouch is linked to a section of your small intestine. Because this little pouch carries less food, you will feel full quickly. You absorb fewer calories and nutrients since food skips the remainder of your stomach and the top half of your small intestine.
Sleeve gastrectomy
Sleeve gastrectomy is a form of surgery in which up to 85% of the stomach is removed. A gastric sleeve or vertical sleeve gastrectomy is another name for it.
The operation transforms the stomach into a thin tube that resembles a sleeve. Because the sleeve contains less food, you feel fuller sooner. Your stomach also produces less of one of the hunger hormones.
BPD-DS
BPD-DS or Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch is a less common weight-loss surgery. As with sleeve gastrectomy, your surgeon removes a portion of your stomach to construct a gastric sleeve.
They then connect the sleeve to a section of the small intestine. Because the sleeve carries significantly less food, your body absorbs far fewer calories and nutrients.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of each kind of bariatric surgery?
Lap banding
Lap banding is a less invasive operation. Relaxing or tightening the band after lap band surgery is quite simple, but you may need further visits to your healthcare physician for band modifications.
A tighter band may assist you in feeling fuller sooner. This might help you lose weight faster. If you undergo lap banding, you have a minimal chance of significant problems shortly after surgery. This operation might result in 40% to 50% weight reduction. However, the outcomes vary greatly amongst individuals. You may not be able to drop as much weight as you would want.
If you have difficulty sticking to a diet, lap banding may not suit you. For example, the lap band won’t work if you consume many high-calorie drinks. If the band is too tight, you may get heartburn or reflux. The band may sometimes fall out of place, causing a gastrointestinal blockage. As a result, certain bands must be removed. There may be difficulties with the band leaking or the port at times.
Sleeve gastrectomy
Because a large part of the stomach is removed, a sleeve gastrectomy is more complicated than a band gastrectomy. Food travels the same route before surgery, and several vitamins, such as iron and calcium, are absorbed practically identically.
This differs from a gastric bypass, in which other sections of the stomach and duodenum are considerably more challenging to observe. You may continue to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications following surgery. However, they increase your chance of developing an ulcer. If you diet and exercise properly, you drop 50 to 100 pounds after a sleeve gastrectomy.
The sleeve might dilate or get bigger with time. This implies you may eat more and gain weight again. Another concern is heartburn or reflux, which may occur after surgery. You may need to take medication for this. If you already have heartburn or reflux, sleeve gastrectomy may worsen it.
Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is more complicated than sleeve gastrectomy. It is quite effective for weight reduction; you may drop up to 100 pounds. It is one of the most effective surgeries for treating or curing diabetes. It is also an excellent procedure for treating heartburn or reflux. Weight reduction typically lasts approximately a year, after which some weight is regained. It is essential to maintain a healthy diet and to be physically active.
You are also more prone to suffer from dietary deficiencies. You’ll need to take multivitamins, calcium, and vitamin B-12 daily. Smoking or using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs regularly, you may develop ulcers near the bottom of your stomach pouch. Because the procedure also involves the small intestine, you may develop a small intestinal blockage and need surgery later in life.
Dumping syndrome (abdominal cramps and diarrhea) may occur if you consume unhealthy foods, such as sweets. However, this condition is typically avoidable by consuming the correct meals. Because the intestine is joined in two places, there is a danger of bowel contents leaking, which may need further surgery.
Procedure for BPD-DS
A BPD-DS operation (the duodenal switch) may be especially beneficial for someone who is obese. It can help you shed more than 100 pounds. It is most likely the finest diabetic procedure. It may also keep the weight off for a long time. It has a larger risk of problems than other types of weight-loss surgery.
Because fats are poorly absorbed, eating fatty meals may result in loose bowel or diarrhea. You must also take more vitamins than before the gastric bypass. The duodenal flip increases the likelihood of dietary and vitamin deficits. You will need to visit your healthcare practitioner regularly for check-ups.
What are the dangers associated with bariatric surgery?
Every operation carries risks. Your complications may differ depending on your overall health, the surgery you select, age, and the weight you need to reduce. Discuss the hazards that are most relevant to you with your healthcare physician. The following are the risks of bariatric surgery:
- Bleeding
- Infection, including a leak from the stomach or small bowel staple lines
- Bowel obstruction (intestinal blockage)
- Blood clots in the legs may spread to the lungs and heart
- Heart attack
- Gallstones (a later consequence) need gallbladder removal surgery.
- Nutritional deficits as a result of inadequate absorption (a secondary consequence)
- Problems with mental health after the operation
- Poor wound healing, including scarring around the wounds and an incisional hernia
- Problems with the band or the port often need further surgery
- Reflux of gastric juices
- There is also a chance that you may gain weight after losing it.
