Bariatric Surgery

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It’s not all the time that you lose weight by dieting or going to the gym –some weight is just too stubborn. This is where bariatric surgical procedures come in. The main aim of these surgical procedures is to help you reduce weight by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold. This is done by shrinking the size of your stomach so that you don’t eat as much food as you used to. Since these procedures change the quantity of food you consume, you most likely to have hormonal changes.

Bariatric surgery contributes to weight loss using two main methods. The first method is a restriction –this approach involves limiting the number of calories you can eat by reducing the size of your stomach. The second method is malabsorption –this method is all about shortening or bypassing the small intestines so as to reduce the number of nutrients and calories the body absorbs.

Even after undergoing successful bariatric surgery, you’re required to get regular exercise and to make permanent healthy changes to your diet so that you preserve the long-term success of the operation.

Types of bariatric surgical procedures

Gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, the adjustable gastric band as well as biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch are the most common bariatric surgical procedures. Each type of bariatric surgery comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a brief discussion around the common types of bariatric surgery:

• Roux-en-Y (roo-en-wy) gastric bypass. This is the most common type of bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass procedure works by restricting the amount of food you can eat. This type of bariatric procedure is irreversible. 
•  Sleeve gastrectomy. During this procedure, 80% of the stomach is removed, a tube-like pouch is left behind. Not much food can be contained in such a small stomach and it usually decreases the hunger hormone known as ghrelin.
• Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. This procedure can be described in two steps. The first step involves performing a procedure that is the same as sleeve gastrectomy. The second part focuses on bypassing the majority of the intestine by connecting the end portion of the intestine to the duodenum near the stomach. Although this procedure is effective, it can result in death, malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies.

Which Bariatric Procedures Can I Find?

Bariatric surgery is a broad specialty and as such, encompasses a wide range of procedures.

• Gastric Sleeve
• Gastric Bypass
• Gastrectomy
• Colectomy
• Gastric Balloon
  
  
  

Costs