Last Updated on 5 years by Sophie

Weight Loss Surgery

Surgery for weight loss is the last resort available for slimming down and reducing health complications. Many are going for surgery as statistics shows; in UK alone the number jumped 40 per cent since 2007 according to NHS.

Overall hospital admission for obesity has increased in developed countries, and doctors find surgery is the only quick fix available for obese people; Australian researchers found patients with Type II who underwent bariatric surgery were five times more likely to recover from diabetes.

Gulfnews reported “Weight-loss surgeries, such as gastric-bypass surgery, may become part of diabetes treatment in the UAE, a potential headway in the country’s battle against the metabolic disease.”

Before you think of surgery for weight loss it helps to know few facts about this medical slimming procedure.

You must be obese with BMI reading of 30-40 and trying to avoid complications such as diabetes to be a candidate for weight loss surgery.

Surgery is the last resort available for you to lose weight after you have tried every option available without effect on reducing your body fat. Simply not losing weight because of not trying is not a good excuse to go for surgery.

Many benefited from weight loss surgery and improved their health but this does not mean there will be no side effects and you don’t need to exercise or watch your diet.

There are two type of weight loss surgery, restrictive and malabsorptive. Restrictive surgery reduces the amount of food your stomach can hold. This type of surgery uses a band to create a small pouch at the top of your stomach, where the food enters from the esophagus.  The pouch is small and can hold less than two ounces of food. After the operation, you are allowed to eat small amount of food at a time without feeling discomfort.

Malabsorptive restrict the amount of calories your body can take, this is done by bypassing parts of your intestine, where nutrients are absorbed. Instead, the nutrients, and the calories they contain, are redirected to the colon and eliminated from your body.

What is gastric bypass?

Is also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, this is the most common weight loss surgery used today. In this procedure a bypass is created around small pouch and intestine, your stomach will become smaller and this will help you eat less, this is the safest weight loss surgery available and with fewer complications.

Another reason for popularity of gastric bypass is that weight loss maintained even after 10 years and most people will lose half of their excess body weight.

As with every weight loss surgery, gastric bypass has some complications such us bleeding, infection and blood clots in your legs and this could be fatal but the chances of this happening though is rare one or two in 1000.

What is vertical banded gastroplasty?

Called also VBG and designed to partition your stomach into two parts without any bypass. The upper part of your stomach will be the small pouch and will be emptied into the lower part which is the rest of your stomach. The average weight loss is less than gastric bypass that is why it is used less.

What is biliopancreatic diversion?

Part of your stomach is removed in this type of operation and the smaller stomach pouch is connected directly to your intestine resulting in sustained weight loss. This is a serious surgical operation and reserved for very obese people with life-threatening consequences.

Liposuction is another safe and fast way to lose weight and it is gaining popularity since the kind of fat removed is not linked to health complications such as stroke, Liposuction was introduced in 1970 and since then it has been improved and has no risk.

Side effects of weight loss surgery

Any type of surgery you use will have side effects, and this will be in first month as your body reacts and try to adjust to new changes and drop in your weight.

• Feeling tired.
• Feeling cold.
• Dry skin.
• Temporary hair loss.
• Mood swing.

Most side effects will go away second or third month, 15 percent of people who went through weight loss surgery developed abdominal wall bulge at the site of operation and this require another surgery depending on the size of the bulge and symptoms.

Another side effect is loss of muscle due to fast weight loss, with exercise you can build your muscle again, and that is why exercise is very important.

No matter which method you choose to lose weight, surgery or without you still need to do your part to maintain your weight and health. There is no quick fix for losing weight however it is possible to lose weight as many did it.

*This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.