Pros and Cons of Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery should be that last resort and should be relied upon only after all other weight loss attempts have failed. It is a serious and complicated procedure and it is important to study the pros and cons in detail. A Bariatric surgeon is your best resource to get information about the procedure used.

The potential for surgical weight loss was realized by Bariatric surgeons while performing operations that involved removing large segments of the patient’s stomach and intestine. In many case it was found that after the surgery the patient was unable to maintain the pre-surgical weight. After many studies the surgeons were able to come up with similar modifications in order to cause weight loss safely. There has been much advancement made in this field due to which the risks involved have come down. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery describes two basic approaches that weight loss surgery takes to achieve change:

1. Restrictive procedures
2. Malabsorptive procedures

In a restrictive procedure surgery the stomach is made smaller to reduce the food intake. During the recovery period the patient needs to follow strict dietary guidelines that the surgeon recommends. After the treatment is complete the patient will be able to eat a lot less than before. In the Malabsorptive procedure surgery alterations are made to the patient’s digestive system so that food is not digested properly and is incompletely absorbed. As a result it gets excreted in the form of stool. There are also combination operations that make use of both these procedures.

Weight loss surgery is allowed only in patients who weigh 100 pounds or more than their healthy weight. It is only in exceptional cases that weight loss surgery is conducted in patients who do not meet this criterion. Risks involved in this surgery include:

• In a restrictive procedure surgery there can be a case of a staple-line disruption that can result in leakage and/or serious infection. This may require prolonged hospitalization with antibiotic treatment and/or additional operations. In the long-term this leads to weight gain.
• Around 40% of patients who have undergone a restrictive procedure surgery have lost less than half their excess body weight.
• In a malabsorption procedure surgery there is a period of intestinal adaptation when bowel movements can be very liquid and frequent. This condition may lessen over time, but may be a permanent lifelong occurrence.
• Changes to the intestinal structure can result in the increased risk of gallstone formation and the need for removal of the gallbladder.
• Re-routing of bile, pancreatic and other digestive juices beyond the stomach can cause intestinal irritation and ulcers.
• Abdominal bloating and malodorous stool or gas may occur.
• As is the case with all weight loss surgeries, readmission to a hospital may be required for fluid replacement or nutritional support if there is excessive vomiting and adequate food intake cannot be maintained.

For many obese people weight loss surgery is the only option. The advantages of weight loss surgeries include:

• A restrictive procedure surgery helps in reducing the amount of well-chewed food from entering the digestive tract in the usual order. This allows the nutrients and vitamins to be fully absorbed into the body.
• It has been found that after 10 years patients who underwent a restrictive procedure surgery can maintain 50% of targeted excess weight loss.
• A Malabsorptive procedure surgery results in a high degree of patient satisfaction since the patients are able to eat larger meals.
• A Malabsorptive procedure surgery produces maximum weight loss because it causes the highest levels of malabsorption.

Life After Weight Loss Surgery

It is important to follow the dietary guidelines advised by the Bariatric surgeon. These guidelines vary form surgeon to surgeon because all surgeons do not perform the exact same procedure. The generally accepted guidelines include:

• Don't drink fluids while eating as it would make you feel full even before you have consumed enough.
• While eating solid foods it is essential to chew properly. You won’t be able to eat steaks or other chunks of meat if they are not ground or chewed thoroughly.
• You cannot take carbonated drinks, high-calorie nutritional supplements, milk shakes, high-fat foods and foods with high fiber content.
• You cannot eat desserts and other items with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients.
• Avoid snacking in between meals.
• Do not consume alcohol.

Life after weight loss surgery will not be the same as before. For weight loss to be successful in the long run you need to strictly follow these guidelines. If you are going to weigh the pros and cons of weight loss surgery you will understand why it should be the last resort to attain weight loss. You should rather try to meet your weight loss goals by following a weight loss plan that includes behavior modification and exercise. If you find it difficult to control your appetite you can also make use of the advantages of weight loss drugs like Phentermine and Xenical. Phentermine has the ability to suppress your appetite and will help you in eating less and yet be satisfied. It is only after all these efforts have failed that you should go for weight loss surgery.