All you need to know about Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss
Generally, not every overweight individual is a good candidate for bariatric surgery. And managing obesity is not simply a matter of changing your appearance and getting rid of the extra weight. It will also help to improve your overall health and quality of life, enhancing your well-being and possibly adding years to your life.
Surgical weight loss programs are focused on delivering long-term health, and include a number of activities before your surgery, as well as post-operative care, a customized workout routine, nutritional counseling, support groups, and more. All these components are necessary for great success and keeping the extra weight off for life.
That said, surgery is almost always a last resort when other non-invasive remedies fail to deliver the results you want. Before taking the step to get rid of your weight surgically, it is expected that have done as much research as possible about bariatric surgery. Following the procedure, you can lose between 40 and 80% of your “excess” weight.
But the end results vary for different patients depending on several factors, including:
- Motivation
- How close you follow the doctor’s recommendations
- On-going support
Most of the weight loss occurs during the first few months after surgery, and continues for 12-18 months post bariatric surgery.
What to Expect
Your bariatric surgery team will provide a comprehensive surgical weight loss program that focuses on delivering long-term health, and includes a number of activities before your surgery, as well as post-operative care, a customized workout routine, nutritional counseling, support groups, and more.
Some of the pre-surgery assessments include:
- A complete psychological assessment by a specialist
- A pre-surgery dietary assessment by a dietitian
- A comprehensive exercise assessment and program development
- Review by a dedicated team of compassionate physicians and professional care before and after your surgery
Before taking the step to get rid of your weight surgically, we expect you to have done as much research as possible about bariatric surgery. Please schedule a consultation with Dr. Clapp to discuss your specific weight loss goals and the best bariatric weight loss surgery for your case.
What is Bariatric Surgery?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one out of every three Americans may be a good candidate for Weight loss surgery. Medically known as bariatric surgery, weight loss surgery is recommended for patients suffering from severe obesity, meaning that they have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 and above.
Most people are good candidates of a weight loss procedure, though the first criteria that physicians look at is your BMI. There are three main categories of people who can benefit from bariatric surgery:
- People with mild obesity and BMI of 30 to 35
- People with moderate obesity and BMI of 35 to 40
- People with severe obesity and BMI of over 40
Physicians recommend that patients consider bariatric surgery when dealing with moderate obesity, and a BMI between 35 and 40, rather than waiting until their BMI is over 40 or even 50 when the patient is less likely to enjoy the full benefits of the procedure.
Who choose surgery?
Bariatric surgery is a fast, safe, and effective way to reduce your weight while warding off the dangers of obesity, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among others.
Weight loss surgery involves reducing the size of your stomach to directly reduce your food intake. The procedure also causes changes in your appetizing hormone levels, which helps to lower your appetite and boost insulin sensitivity, which often causes diabetes remission.
There are many different approaches to bariatric surgery, though the most common ones are:
- Sleeve gastrectomy – Used by around 60 – 70% of obese patients, the procedure requires the doctor to remove 80% of your stomach. This procedure is particularly suited for patients with a BMI of 35 to 40.
- Gastric bypass – This procedure is recommended for severely obese patients. It involves bisecting the stomach and small intestines into two segments, and then linking the smaller ones together to reduce both your food intake and absorption in the intestines.
Bariatric surgery is a fast, safe, and effective way to not only reduce weight, but also ward off the dangers of obesity, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among others. Surgeons recommend that patients consider bariatric surgery when dealing with moderate obesity, and a BMI between 35 and 40, rather than waiting until their BMI is over 40 or even 50 when the patient is less likely to enjoy the full benefits of the procedure.
Keep in mind that surgery is almost always a last resort, where diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes are ineffective. But after the procedure, you will need to adjust your lifestyle choices.
When should you consider weight loss surgery?
Patients with a body mass index of over 35 are considered eligible for weight loss surgery. You must also have tried traditional weight loss methods before settling for bariatric surgery. If you have a high risk for an obesity-induced disease or have a life-threatening disease, you may be considered a good candidate.
Other guidelines may include obesity that has not receded for more than five years with the patient having no history of drug or alcohol abuse or an untreated psychiatric disorder. As regards age, everyone is eligible, though common candidates are between the ages of 18 and 65 years old.
What to expect from a weight loss surgery
You’re only considered a good weight loss surgery candidate if your chances of positive results are realistic. Also, the surgery should not pose a significant threat to your health. It should, instead, improve your appearance and health, and change your quality of life in the long run.
Of course, the surgery may not solely guarantee to turn your life around. The surgeon may require that you make certain behavior and lifestyle modifications to complement the results and ensure they last. You may even be recommended to consider additional clinical procedures and medications.
Common complementary procedures include breast lift, breast augmentation, liposuction, and abdominoplasty, all of which are dedicated to treating fat, improve loose muscles, lift sagging areas and remove excess skin.
Does weight loss surgery have substitutes?
Since surgeons won’t consider bariatric surgery unless other treatments have failed, it is important to know all your other alternatives. The most common weight loss techniques are exercise and diet modification. These should be considered with the guidance of a weight loss doctor before resorting to surgery. Other procedures include liposuction and a tummy tuck.
Call us today to schedule an appointment with our weight loss surgeon, who will help assess your candidature for weight loss surgery.
How much weight can you lose with bariatric surgery?
Bariatric or weight loss surgery is usually recommended to help individuals lose weight when diet and exercise fail to provide the results they want, or when they begin to experience health complications such as heart disease, high blood pressure, infertility, depression, joint problems, and others due to being overweight.
Surgery is almost always a last resort when other non-invasive remedies fail to deliver the results you want. Before taking the step to get rid of your weight surgically, it is expected that have done as much research as possible about bariatric surgery. Generally, not every overweight individual is a good candidate for bariatric surgery. And managing obesity is not simply a matter of changing your appearance and getting rid of the extra weight.
It will also help to improve your overall health and quality of life, enhancing your well-being and possibly adding years to your life.
But how much weight can you expect to shed?
First, the amount of weight loss depends on the type of bariatric surgery you choose and your general health. That said, the weight loss typically ranges from 40 to 80% of your “excess” weight.
So, a 6 foot 2 patient weighing 400 lbs, and whose ideal weight is 195 pounds may wish to shed 205 lbs of excess weight. With the adjustable gastric band, this patient may lose 40-50% of the excess weight (80-102 lbs); 60 – 65% with a gastric sleeve (about 120 lbs); or 75-80% with a gastric bypass (about 160 lbs).
Keep in mind that the results vary for different patients depending on motivation, how close they follow the doctor’s recommendations, and on-going support. Most of the weight loss occurs during the first few months after surgery and continues for 12-18 months post bariatric surgery.
Final note
Surgical weight loss programs are focused on delivering long-term health and include a number of activities before your surgery, as well as post-operative care, a customized workout routine, nutritional counseling, support groups, and more. All these components are necessary for great success and keeping the extra weight off for life.
What is Colorectal Surgery In El Paso?
Colorectal surgery in El Paso is a field of medicine that focuses on repairing the damage caused by disorders in the rectum, colon, and anus. You may also require colorectal surgery when there is an obstruction or injury or ischemia or blockages that are preventing the normal elimination of feces from your body.
What do colorectal surgeons do?
A colorectal surgeon also called colon and rectal surgeon is a medical practitioner who specializes in the medical and surgical treatments of disorders that affect the lower digestive tract, namely colon, rectum, and anus.
You should see a colorectal specialist when you develop symptoms of the following disorders:
- Colorectal cancer
- Diverticulitis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohns’ disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Rectal prolapse
- Anal fissures
- Bowel incontinence
Why Choose Dr. Benjamin Clapp Reflux Surgeon in El Paso?
Dr. Clapp is committed to providing individualized care for each patient, as he understands that each and every client requires different needs.
When you come for our colorectal surgery in El Paso expect the following:
- You’ll be treated respectfully and with care
- You’ll be seen at your scheduled time without unnecessary waiting lines
- Dr. Benjamin Clapp and his dedicated staff will explain everything in detail to ensure you fully understand all the things that pertain to your treatment.
- You’ll be comfortable throughout the duration of your appointment and treatment
Learn More about Colorectal Surgery in El Paso.
Poster Presentations at the Society of American Gastrointestinal Surgeons
Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeon (SAGES) Meeting
Dr. Clapp presented three posters with his resident and students this past weekend in Seattle.
First Presentation
“An unusual presentation of Coccidioidomycosis with peritoneal involvement in an immunocompetent individual” Joe Krocker BS, Benjamin Clapp MD. Abstract submitted to the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Seattle, WA, Apr 2018.
Second Presentation
“Laparoscopic management of sigmoid intussusception.” Yvette Faran BS, Jorge Miranda BS, Benjamin Clapp MD. Abstract submitted to the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Seattle, WA, Apr 2018.
Third Presentation
Evaluation of the rate of anastomotic ulcer formation after gastric bypass using the MBSAQIP database.” Benjamin Clapp MD, Angela Guerra, Joshua Hahn , Colin Martyn, Jesus Gamez. Abstract accepted at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Seattle, WA, Apr 2018.
4 Weight Loss Surgery Treatments
When weight loss surgery was introduced a few decades ago, its sole purpose was to help people lose weight. Today, it does a lot more than just that. Weight loss surgery has been shown to improve symptoms of weight-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux, sleep apnea and heart disease. What’s more, doctors can now tackle weight from multiple angles, making almost any case of overweightness or obesity remediable by surgery.
We have discussed below the main types of weight loss surgery offered at El Paso Bariatric. Read on to get an insight into the specific types of weight loss surgery before deciding on which one you think suits you best.
1) Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass is performed to limit the amount of food your stomach can hold. The surgeon creates a pouch at the top end of your stomach, to which the small intestine is cut and connected. Food thus flows into the intestines without getting into the main part of the stomach, effectively reducing the amount of food you can take per sitting and, consequently, the amount of calories your body absorbs.
This may be the best type of surgery if you have acid reflux as it reduces the upward pressure that pushes up stomach content into the esophagus.
2) Sleeve Gastrectomy
This procedure is pretty similar to gastric bypass, except for the fact that the cut portion of the stomach is removed entirely from the body. The objective is straightforward – to physically reduce the size of the stomach, so you get full without eating much. The surgery also reduces one’s urge to eat as the hormone that alerts the brain when one gets hungry is located in the section of the stomach that is cut off.
Sleeve gastrectomy heals more quickly than gastric bypass and is suitable for people who have had multiple other surgeries in the abdominal area.
3) Adjustable Gastric Band
In this, an inflatable balloon is placed inside a silicone ring, which is attached to the upper part of the stomach. A small tubing is attached to the balloon with one of its endings connected to a port placed under the skin in the abdomen.
Using the port, the surgeon can modulate the diameter of the opening at the top of the stomach and to create a pouch where food sits for a while after a meal so the individual feels full faster.
4) Biliopancreactic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)
The BPD/DS involves two procedures: a sleeve gastrectomy – where part of the stomach is tied into a banana shaped pouch – followed by the surgical attachment of the small intestine to the pouch. It is known as a malabsorptive surgery as it is designed to regulate the amount of calories absorbed along the gut. It makes the food storage part of the stomach much smaller and makes the food reach the small intestine faster.
Bariatric Surgery in El Paso
Weight loss surgery is the way to go if you’re looking for a quick and effective way of shed the few extra pounds. Call (915) 351-6020 today to schedule a consultation with one of the best bariatric surgeons in El Paso.