Everything you need to know about Bariatric Surgery

What is Bariatric Surgery?

Obesity is responsible for many diseases and can cause other damages to your body. According to a report, more people die from Obesity than from hunger. Bariatric Surgery or weight loss surgery is a surgical procedure to treat Obesity. It is performed when obesity reaches to its peak and cannot be treated with Exercise and Diet regimen. Weight loss surgery helps you lose weight by making changes to your digestive system or by reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Some procedures involve both. This procedure decreases food consumption of the patients and makes them lose weight. Weight loss surgery is a blessing for obese people because it can help them lose weight in a very short span of time and makes them feel more healthy and confident. But, even after the surgery, patients need to make permanent healthy changes to their diet and get regular exercise to help ensure the long-term success of bariatric surgery. There are various types of weight loss surgeries depending upon the body type and preferences of the patients which we will discuss later in this article.

Who can benefit from it?

Doctors might discuss weight loss surgery with you if you are morbidly obese and conventional methods like exercise and diet regimens are not working for you. People having a Body Mass Index more than 35 are advised to undergo the procedure. An average healthy person has a BMI between 19 to 25, BMI between 25 to 30 is considered overweight and BMI of more than 30 is considered Obese.

You can Calculate your BMI by Dividing your weight (In KGs) by Square of height (In Meters).

Sometimes, People with BMI less than 35 are also allowed to have bariatric surgery but only if they are diagnosed with-

1. Hypertension
2. Diabetes
3. Metabolic syndromes
4. Sleep apnea
5. Heart related diseases etc.

Types of Weight loss surgery

Bariatric Surgery has many types. Each type has its own pros and cons so, make sure to discuss it in depth with your doctors. The major types of weight loss surgery are as follows-

LSG (Sleeve Gastrectomy)

Sleeve Gastrectomy includes the removal of the stomach sleeve to allow it to hold less portion of food at a time. Sleeve Gastrectomy is an irreversible process. Gastrectomy, we surgically remove the left side of the stomach. This leaves us with a vertical tube like structure. It is then  sealed together with staples. The advantage of sleeves is that it eliminates the stomach portion, which produces hormones that trigger appetite which automatically decreases your food consumption and makes you lose weight faster.

LRYGB (Gastric bypass)

The term Bypass literally means avoiding one path and choosing an alternative path to proceed. In this method, the food is allowed to remain in the stomach for a very short period of time and directly passed into the intestine. This surgery can be performed Laparoscopically. Laparoscopy involves using a video camera attached to a long flexible tube being inserted inside the abdominal cavity. This gives the perfect view of the structure of the internal organs. The benefit of gastric bypassing is that it does not require many incisions on the abdominal part and it makes you lose weight faster. This also helps patients who are suffering from diabetes.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

A common form of gastric bypass surgery is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This is not a reversible surgery. It decreases the amount of food you can eat at one sitting and reduces the absorption of nutrients.

This surgery involves cutting across the top of the stomach, sealing it off from the rest of the stomach. The resulting portion of the stomach is about the size of a walnut.

Then we cut the small intestine and sew part of it directly onto the pouch. Food then goes into this small pouch of the stomach and then directly into the small intestine sewn to it. This way, Food bypasses most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, and instead goes directly into the middle part of the small intestine.

Duodenal Switch

This surgery involves removal of a large portion of the stomach. It can be performed in both the open and laparoscopic methods. The lower opening of the stomach is directly connected to the lower portion of small intestines. This way, food does not pass through the intermediate portion of the small intestine. This results in reduction in digestion time of the food and absorption of calories and fats. This will accelerate weight loss and help in reducing excess body fat.

What can you expect?

Bariatric surgery is performed using general anesthesia. This means you're unconscious during the whole procedure.

A weight loss surgery is performed either as an Open surgery or laparoscopically. Some weight-loss surgeries are done with traditional large incisions in your abdomen. This is called open surgery.

Today, most types of bariatric surgeries are performed laparoscopically. A laparoscope is a small, tubular device with a camera attached to its tip. The laparoscope is inserted through small incisions in the abdomen. The tiny camera on the tip of the laparoscope allows the surgeon to see and operate inside the abdomen. Surgery usually takes several hours depending upon the obesity of the patient. Post surgery, you are taken to the recovery room, where medical staff monitors you for any complications. Depending on your procedure, you may need to stay a few days in the hospital.

Laparoscopic surgery can make recovery faster and shorter. RG Stone and Laparoscopy Hospitals provide the best Weight loss surgeries in Delhi NCR. We follow all the necessary protocols and instructions to give the best Bariatric surgery services to our patients. You can contact us on given contact details for free consultation regarding Bariatric Surgery.

Risks and complications of Weight loss Surgery

Just like other procedures, Bariatric surgery too has its pros and cons. Some of the major risks and complications of weight loss surgery are as follows-

Skin Infection and Irritation

Skin infections and irritations can occur on the operated part of the body. These infections may be internal or external and sometimes both. However, these infections can easily be treated by antibiotics.

Excessive bleeding and Blood clot formation

Bleeding is very common while performing any surgical procedure. Blood obstructs the field of vision during surgery and needs to be cleaned and drained. If blood clots are formed, they have to be removed mechanically. Smaller clots may however enter some veins and could cause health complications if they block the vein. Anticoagulants or Blood thinning medicines will be administered in such cases.

Difficulties in Digestion

Bariatric surgery completely changes the way your body digests the food because post surgery, food does not pass through the normal route through intestines. And because of this, the time taken by your body to digest food is also altered. This could affect the absorption of essential nutrients. Problems like malnutrition, constipation, nausea and vomiting could arise. Changing the diet, amount of food consumed at a time and time interval between two consecutive meals may help to control these difficulties. Weight loss surgery makes you lose weight in a very short span of time and this can sometimes lead to Gallstones. Appropriate medicines or corrective surgery is provided if a patient is diagnosed with Gallstones post surgery.

Benefits of Bariatric Surgery

Weight loss surgery is a blessing for obese people because it helps them lose weight in a very short span of time, but its benefits are not limited to weight loss only. Here are some of the benefits of Bariatric surgery-

• Long term relief from type-2 diabetes.
• Better Cardiovascular health.
• Relief of Depression.
• No more obstructive sleep apnea.
• Relief from Joint Pain.
• Improvement in fertility.
• Relief from Hypertension.

Best Bariatric Surgery In Delhi NCR

Bariatric surgery can change the lives of obese patients and give very good results if all the protocols and instructions are followed carefully. Laparoscopic surgery can make recovery faster and shorter. RG Stone and Laparoscopy Hospitals provide the best Weight loss surgeries in Delhi NCR. We follow all the necessary protocols and instructions to give the best Bariatric surgery services to our patients. You can contact us on given contact details for free consultation regarding Bariatric Surgery.