Bariatric surgery is an umbrella term which includes a number of surgical operations that induce the loss of weight. All the procedures involve modifying the digestive tract in ways that limit the intake of food and the extent to which calories are absorbed. Currently, there is a variety of medically approved weight loss regimes that obese patients adopt, so surgery represents the last option that they may resort to. Patients that resort to bariatric surgery are usually those who have a Body Mass Index (‘BMI’) ranging from 35 to 40, and have one or more of the following health conditions:
- Metabolic disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Sleep apnea
Surgical procedures that come under the umbrella of bariatric surgery include:
- Adjustable gastric band (gastric banding)
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Gastric bypass
- Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
Relatively New
The procedures have vastly improved over the years. As a result, they can be easily performed using techniques which are minimally invasive. However, patients who opt for the procedure need to understand that it doesn’t directly lead to the loss of weight. As mentioned, the direct result of the procedure is limiting the intake of food and calorie absorption. This facilitates a shift in lifestyle choices which ultimately leads to the sought after weight loss. Therefore patients have to completely commit to the choice that they make to maximize the benefit of the surgery.
Effects
Losing weight begins after the surgery has been performed. This involves patients committing to a regimen of healthy eating and consistent exercise. Patients who do this are successful in achieving weight loss. On an average, patients maintain 50% of the weight that was lost five years post the surgical procedure. Patients in the long term report feeling much better, active and experience an improvement in the quality of their lives. The surgery has also shown to improve several conditions that accompany obesity. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) reports that the effects include massive reduction of mortality rates from 2 diabetes (92%), cancer (60%) and coronary heart disease (56%).
The benefits of undergoing a bariatric procedure extend to economic benefits as well. On an average, costs for health care that morbidly obese patients incur go down by at least 29% in the space of five years after the procedure. Results also show vast improvements in productivity, which was measured to be around an annual $2,765.
What it takes
The benefits of bariatric surgery have been proven conclusively. However the realization of the benefits is only achieved with full commitment and dedication on part of the patient, and can be difficult, as mentioned in “Long-term Management of Patients After Weight Loss Surgery”. Slipping into bad habits is easy as the initial euphoria after the surgery subsides. It was observed that patients who gained weight, even after the surgery, slipped into their previous habits after about a year.
According to the report mentioned above, the follow up to any bariatric procedure needs a team-centric approach and taking care of several lifestyle dimensions. Diet is the most crucial aspect of the lifestyle that needs to be maintained. After that exercise facilitates maintaining weight loss. Finally it needs to be emphasized that this time will be emotionally difficult, as patients are changing lifestyle habits that they have had for several years. Hence psychological care is an important aspect of the follow up to bariatric procedures.
