Obesity is defined as the abnormal accumulation of body fat on your whole body, especially your belly. Obesity is itself not a disease, but it can cause various health-related issues to your body like heart attack, high blood pressure & sugar levels and ultimately a decline to your lifetime. Obesity can have many reasons including genetic transfer, environmental and physiological factors, added with the patient’s diet, lifestyle, physical activities and exercise routine. Obesity is usually measured by an index named Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing the weight of a person by the square of a person’s height. In this method, people are defined into certain categories based on their BMI, i.e. BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24 is normal, 25 to 29 is believed to be overweight, and 30 or higher is considered obesity.
Maintaining the weight of your body is considered to be the most effective way of eliminating the various health-related issues, and the biggest contributor to weight gain is your diet. But even after doing all the health-related measures, a person cannot achieve the desired results. This can happen due to various reasons like a sedentary lifestyle and inherited genes from your parents. To cure the obesity caused by these reasons that cannot be cured by following a proper diet and exercise can be treated by specific obesity surgeries called bariatric surgeries.
Bariatric surgeries are surgeries that are specifically done for weight loss purposes. This procedure is usually permanent, and it requires long-run amendments to your diet and lifestyle. This surgery is usually suggested to those patients who fail to lose their weight through conservative measures such as diet and exercise.
Bariatric surgeries:
Various weight loss operations have been invented that can be applied to patients depending upon their body condition after proper examination and diagnosis of the whole body.
The 4 most commonly used bariatric operations used nowadays are as follow:
1. Sleeve gastrectomy:
Sleeve gastrectomy surgery is also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This surgery is specifically laparoscopic, which involves placing small gadgets into the upper abdominal of the stomach. In this procedure, 75 to 80 per cent of your stomach is cut down to decrease your craving for food and to reduce the number of nutrients being absorbed by your body. In addition to this, this operation can also cause hormonal changes that help you with bodyweight loss. There are various risks involved with sleeve gastrectomy, such as excessive bleeding, infection, blood clots, lung or breathing problems etc.
2. Gastric bypass:
Gastric bypass is also called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This obesity surgery involves creating a small pouch in the stomach and connecting the pouch straight to the small intestine. After this surgery, the swallowed meal will go directly into the small intestine bypassing the stomach and upper parts of the small intestine, which will help reduce the nutrition absorption in the body and hence reduce the weight gain. This is the most commonly used surgery done with patients who fail to lose their weight from diet and exercise. This long island weight loss surgery is done under the complete supervision of doctors, and even after 3 to 4 weeks, you are kept under the supervision of professionals. After surgery, you may have liquids for the initial weeks. Then you follow a defined diet plan that slowly converts into pureed food.
3. Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
Biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch is a less common and complex weight loss surgery that consists of two main steps. The first step entails sleeve gastrectomy in which 70% to 80% of the stomach is removed and a small valve that connects the stomach with small intestine leaves, hence limiting the amount of food sent into the small intestine. The second portion of this surgery involves bypassing the majority of the intestine through a connection between the last point of the intestine and the duodenum close to the stomach. This process reduces both elements of weight loss, i.e. absorption of nutrients and how much meal do you eat. This process is usually more risky but very effective long island weight loss treatment. This process is suggested by doctors to only those patients who have BMI greater than 50.
4. Adjustable gastric band
A weight-loss procedure is known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Bariatric surgery is another name for weight-loss surgery. With tiny incisions in the upper belly, it’s done as a laparoscopic procedure. Around the top of the stomach, the surgeon places an adjustable band. This results in a little stomach pouch. Because you have a tiny stomach pouch, you will feel full after consuming less food. This will assist you in losing weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the frequently asked questions on treatments of obesity through weight loss surgery.
What are the complications of obesity surgery?
Obesity surgery may cause a dumping syndrome that is a condition that can lead to severe symptoms like dizziness and nausea. It also causes low blood sugar, vomiting, and malnutrition.
What happens in obesity surgery?
Obesity surgery works by lowering the amount of food you can eat in one sitting and reducing the absorption of nutrients. The surgeon cuts the top of your stomach and seals it off from the rest of your stomach.
What is the newest weight loss surgery?
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a newer type of minimally invasive weight-loss procedure. A suturing device is inserted into your throat and down to your stomach. The endoscopist then places sutures in your stomach to make it smaller.
Also read How to Join the Canadian Army