It’s undeniable that bariatric surgery can lead to dramatic weight loss. Researches show that about two (2) years after the procedure, patients have the body mass they wish for. That's when low cost weight loss surgery can make a big difference for those who are paying out of pocket.
Yet, it is important to point out that this is not an instant solution to losing weight. It should rather pass off as the major step that can lead to impressive results.
The past decade has seen a massive increase in the number of weight loss surgeries. From the UK, through the US and down to other parts of the world, there are rising cases of obese individuals. The trend is likely to continue and in the light of this, certain factors should be put into consideration. The procedure passes for an effective treatment for obese individuals who feel entrapped in their weight gain cycle.
Before you put a call across to Weight Loss Riga, have in mind that the procedure is not a fast approach to weight loss. Also, while your patience keeps you going after the procedure, you also need to prepare for an eventuality. News has been making waves that bariatric surgery is the faster and safest means of losing weight. But there is more to it. At the end of the procedure, you might see your weight continue to increase. This is beside the comorbidities and other salient points that can hamper the success of the surgery. So what are these factors? We’ll start off with the positive aspects of the popular weight loss surgeries before highlighting their downsides.
1. The Gastric Bypass Surgery
When looking for the best weight loss surgery, the gastric bypass surgery will surely pop up. The procedure has been around for decades and is not set to give up anytime soon. The procedure “reconfigures” parts of the stomach and leaves a Y-shape at the end. Staples are used in creating a small section in the stomach which holds food. The staples also split the stomach into two. While the small intestine connects to the section that holds food, the second part of the bypassed stomach creates digestive fluids that help the small intestine in digestion.
The overall goal of the procedure is to make you feel full faster. With the presence of a “smaller stomach”, you needn’t consume much. Also, it skips the digest9ve system in a way that smaller amounts of calories will be absorbed from food intake. With the bypass of the larger part of the stomach, your “new stomach” can only hold few ounces of food. But in spite of these impressive restrictions and weight loss strategies, the gastric bypass surgery still has its fair share of downsides. We’ll be looking at the fair sides of the procedure and other aspects that make it a bad idea.
Pros:
- Diet Restriction: The overall goal of every bariatric surgery is to help with weight loss and the major step to this is cutting down meal intake. Even though other procedures make their marks in this aspect, the gastric bypass surgery performs better. By creating two smaller stomachs; with one containing the few ounces of food and the other making the digestive provisions, it is clear that the surgery is a great way to reduce diet intake.
- Reverses Type 2 Diabetes: Another debate making the rounds is the possibility of getting a cure for diabetes. With the massive adoption of bariatric surgery, researches have proven that weight loss surgeries serve as the gateway to Type 2 diabetes cure. However, this is the exclusive feature of the gastric bypass surgery. About 75% of obese individuals that went through the procedure recorded massive improvements in their diabetic conditions.
- Rapid Weight Loss: The surgery has set the records as one of the bariatric surgeries that record immediate weight loss within a few months of the operation. Six (6) months after the surgery, you could be recording 65% of your total weight and this continues for the next couple of months. You should consider this procedure if you’re looking for the fastest way to lose weight.
- Improves Comorbidities: Morbid obesity comes with its bad sides; especially to the health of the patient. Comorbidities such as sleep apnea and high blood pressure also improve after the surgery.
Cons:
- Reduced Absorption of Nutrients: It is true that the fight is to keep the body mass on the low. But what if the overall diet of the patient is put at risk? The surgery has been subjected to criticisms because of the reduction in nutrient absorption. Foods go through the digestive tract quickly; thereby reducing the number of nutrients you can consume. Patients that chose the procedure have to cope with the fewer nutrients they are able to get from their diets.
- Complications: The procedure is not entirely free as complications can rear up their ugly heads. For instance, there have been cases of gallstones and dumping syndrome in patients that chose the gastric bypass surgery. Other complications include staple line leak and stomach ulcers.
- Lifelong Nutritional Supplements: If you chose this procedure, be ready to walk with a bottle of nutritional supplements for the rest of your life. Because of the limited nutrient intake, patients have to make it up with nutritional supplements. This is one of the downsides to the procedure which has put off many obese individuals.
- Non-Reversible: It is worth noting that bariatric surgery is just a step ahead of the major weight loss options. Healthy dieting, regular exercising and strict compliance to the post-operation guidelines guarantee immediate weight loss. In the event of a mishap (such as severe complications), you cannot make a return for another surgery.
2. The Gastric Band
In spite of the fact that few obese individuals make a call at its doors, the gastric band surgery still remains one of the best bariatric surgeries you can get. The surgery also looks safer than other variants. For instance, there is no need for open surgery as the surgeon only needs to make small incisions in the abdomen. After the incision, the major procedure commences.
The procedure entails a surgical placement of an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach. This, in turn, creates a smaller upper stomach and a larger one. Foods pass through the upper stomach (the small channel) and get to the lower stomach. The overall essence of the gastric band surgery is to restrict the amount of food consumption. The presence of the silicone band around the upper part of the stomach makes this a reality. With the procedure, you won’t eat much but will still be fuller after few bites at certain foods. The surgery is not off the map of risks as there are other downsides that mar the process.
Pros:
- Enough Nutrients: The procedure boasts enough nutrients. This is a great way of stepping up the game in the gastric bypass surgery. After the procedure, you don’t need to take nutritional supplements after each meal.
- Shorter Time: The period of the surgery is relatively short. You can leave the theatre in the shortest time and get back to work. If you’re looking at a weight loss surgery that affords you the time, the gastric band is a good option.
- No Staple or Re-Routing: The core reason why obese individuals are in love with this procedure is the fewer risks it entails. It is worth noting that you literally have a new stomach added to your already-existing stomach. The complications that come with a re-routed or staple stomach (such as staple line leak) does not come to play. The surgery does not perform this but rather insets an inflatable silicone band in the stomach.
- Accelerated Weight Loss: The procedure also records about 40% loss of excess weight after a few months. This is one of the reasons why it remains in the public domain as one of the fastest weight loss surgeries.
- Improvements in Comorbidities: The procedure also records improvements in obesity-related diseases. Comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, hypertension, and gallbladder disease are resolved with the procedure.
- Reversible: Patients often crave for a weight loss surgery that lets them fix issues (when the need be). The gastric band surgery is the best pick as it lets you have more surgeries to fix issues that might come up after the procedure.
Cons:
- Slow Weight Loss: While the procedure measures up with others in long-term weight loss, the speed is quite slow. When placed side-by-side with the gastric bypass surgery, it is clear that the surgery has slower initial weight loss.
- Regular Follow-Ups: Most patients do not wish to go back to the hospital after bariatric surgery but are forced back if they went through this procedure. The surgery entails frequent follow-ups. Hence, patients have to live up to expectations by following the post-op procedures to the latter. For working-class patients, this might not be favorable as their jobs might be on the line on account of frequent absence.
- Discomfort: It is worth noting that the inflatable silicone band is a “foreign object” and might cause discomfort to patients. The “strange experience” that comes with this does not actually go down well with some patients.
- Side Effects: There are noticeable side effects that mar the success of the surgery. Issues such as band erosion into the stomach can come up. Also, patients are at risk of dilatation of the esophagus when they overeat and also stand the ugly chance of having a band slippage.
- Weight Gain: There are inclinations that the lost weight can come crawling back after a few years of the procedure.
- Repeat Surgery: While a repeat is good to fix issues, the gastric band surgery has higher rates of repeated surgeries. When this becomes the case, there is the tendency of having slips along the line. Patients might also need to visit the clinic at intervals to get adjustments to the band.
3. Gastric Sleeve
The last on the list is the gastric sleeve surgery. The procedure has been gaining widespread acceptance for its restrictive model. Also, about 80% of the stomach is permanently removed; thereby, giving room for a fresh start to weight gain. After the procedure, about the third quarter of the stomach is cut off and the remnant will be in the form of a shaped tube (sleeve) which is held with a staple. This then connects the esophagus to the small intestine. The idea is to reduce the stomach size and in extension, cut down the amount of food intake. Because the stomach holds less food, calorie intake is also reduced.
Pros:
- No Insertion of Foreign Body: This procedure is popular because of the absence of foreign items such as the inflatable silicone band in gastric banding. The absence of this cuts down severe complications such as slips.
- Long-Term Weight Loss: During the first six (6) months of the surgery, you get to lose about 50% of your overall weight. This also extends to the coming months and for the next two (2) years; you must have attained an hour-glass figure.
- Hunger Reduction: It is worth noting that the hunger-secreting hormone, ghrelin is cut off during the surgery. The reality of this is that you will have fewer cravings for food.
- Diet Restriction: The best side to this surgery is the fewer amounts of food you get to consume. By removing over 80% of the stomach, what you will have left is a banana-shaped stomach which can only hold few ounces of food.
Cons:
- Complications: Despite the encouraging results of this procedure, it breeds complications such as stenosis, staple line leak, and sepsis. This is possible because a large size of the stomach has been cut off.
- No Reversals: The gastric sleeve surgery is also similar to the gastric bypass. There is no room for “corrections” (reversals) after the procedure. Hence, it is permanent and cannot be reversed.
- Long-Term Differences: The procedure is relatively new when compared with the gastric bypass. Hence, the long-term weight loss plan is still sketchy.
- Weight Gain: You can gain back the lost weight after this procedure. This is usually the case when poor dietary decisions are made. Hence, it is important to keep to the post-op guidelines.
Bariatric Surgery is a Good Choice
Despite the downsides that come with most of the weight loss surgeries, going through the knife is a better way of getting rid of excess weight. It is evident that the benefits of the surgery outshine the downsides. To this end, bariatric surgery is a good choice for obese individuals that want to lose weight faster. If you want to establish contact with a competent clinic that offers these surgeries at low costs, Weight Loss Riga is the best to pick. While we offer professional weight loss surgery strategies, we also have experienced surgeons who offer risk-free procedures to our patients.
