Is weight loss surgery safe for you?

The weight loss surgery is becoming the attractive option among many obese people. However among the awful lot of options available it is important to choose the best one. Before taking any decision it is strongly recommended to weigh the pros and cons of it.The article throws spotlight on the weight loss surgery and various options available.This article covers

• Is weight loss surgery safe?
• What are the various options available in the weight loss surgery?
• What are the advantages in it?
• What are the risks involved in it?

With more and more people being overweight and obese in today's age, weight loss surgery is fast becoming an attractive option. What is weight loss surgery one might ask! Weight loss surgeries are simply a number of different gastric bypass surgeries which are commonly referred to as weight loss surgeries, or WLS. Generally, WLS is also referred to as bariatric surgery, bariatric meaning anything to do with weight.

While there are several surgery options available for patients today, it is quite difficult to decide on which one is the best option. What does matter, however, is the fact that since all patients are different, every patient needs to weight their options carefully before deciding which type of surgery they want to go in for. It also depends on how good a doctor/surgeon they find for their procedure. Discuss the various procedures with your surgeon before making a final decision. It is of utmost importance that you acquire your information from credible sources only!

In order to determine whether WLS is a safe and advisable treatment for a patient to go in, it is important to know the basics of bariatric surgery. According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, there are three basic approaches that WLS takes to achieve results in bariatric weight loss surgery:

• Restrictive practices that lower a patient's need for food intake.
• Malabsorptive practices which cause food to be poorly digested and incompletely absorbed, in order for it to be passed out as stool.
• A combination of both restrictive and malabsorptive practices. This not only lowers the risks associated with both the procedures, but also results in efficient excess weight loss.

Some of the common WLS procedures include:

Gastric Restrictive Procedure

Restrictive WLS works by lowering the quantity of food consumed by the patient at a time and does not hinder with the normal process of digestion. In a restrictive weight loss procedure, a smaller upper stomach pocket is created by the surgeon, which connects to the rest of the stomach. Weight is lost by the reduced stomach capacity, which directly results in a lower intake of calories.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)

VBG is a type of restrictive procedure in which the upper stomach is stapled vertically for almost 2 inches to produce a smaller stomach pocket. A ring controls the outlet from the pocket, thus slowing down the process of emptying of the food. This in turn, makes the patient feel full, thus decreasing the urge to eat.

The main benefit of VBG is that a lowered amount of well-chewed food goes into and passes through the digestive tract. This allows the nutrients to be fully absorbed into the body as per the normal digestive process.

However, it is important to note that postoperatively, there exists a risk of leakage or infection from the stapling of the stomach resulting in staple-line disruption. The ring which is used in the procedure may also lead to complications of obstruction or perforation.

Laparoscopic or Minimally Invasive Surgery

During a laparoscopic operation, a small video camera is inserted into the abdomen, while the surgeon views the procedure and the insides of the abdomen on a video monitor. The camera and surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions made in the abdominal wall. This approach is less invasive as it replaces the need for open incisions, which also increases the risk of infection. Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery experience less pain after the surgery, leading to easier breathing and lung function. Other benefits with laparoscopic surgery are that there are fewer wound complications.

Laparoscopic weight loss surgery produces similar excess weight loss as compared to the other methods. However, not all surgeons are qualified enough to perform laparoscopic surgery and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery recommends that laparoscopic WLS be performed only by surgeons who are experienced in both laparoscopic and open bariatric procedures.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

A Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band procedure, commonly known as lap band weight loss surgery, is a restrictive process in which a band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, dividing the stomach into two parts, a small portion and a larger part. Food digestion occurs though a normal process, but food is regulated. Due to this, most patients start feeling full faster, thus lowering their food/caloric intake and leading to weight loss.

The advantages of this procedure are that it limits the amount of food consumed at a meal, food is completely absorbed by the body as the food passes through the digestive tract in a normal manner. Also, if required, the procedure can be reversed.

Malabsorptive Procedures

Malabsorptive processes tend to reduce the size of the stomach, though the stomach pocket which is created is generally larger as compared to the other procedures. The goal of these surgeries is to control the amount of food consumed by the patient and change the normal digestive process. The procedure involves changing of the anatomy of the small intestine in order to direct the pancreatic juices and bile in a manner where they meet the ingested food closer to the end of the small intestine. This results in incomplete digestion, allowing for more of the food to be passed out as stool. Some of the common malabsorptive procedures are as follows:

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)

BPD removes nearly three-fourths of the stomach in order to both limit food intake and lower the output of acid. In this process, surgery basically involves division of the small intestine so that all the food moves through only one section of the small intestine.

Extended (Distal) Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGBP-E)

RYGBP-E is a form of malabsorption procedure which is achieved by creating a divided small gastric pocket. This type of surgery generally involves the tying of a length of the small intestine to the stomach in order to divert the bile and pancreatic juices. There are lower operative risks associated with this procedure, though there is a higher risk for the formation of ulcers, malnutrition, etc.

Biliopancreatic Diversion with "Duodenal Switch"

This procedure is another form of BPD in which stomach removal is restricted to just the outer margin.

Continue to:Advantages of Malabsorptive Procedures

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