An astonishing fact about obesity is that the potential loss in life expectancy caused by being obese is 3-10 years. The good news is — patients with obesity and diabetes who have undergone weight loss surgery will reduce their risk of death and heart disease by 40%. And yet, only 1% of qualified patients for weight loss surgery went through the procedure according to Elizabeth Dovec, M.D., FACS, FASMBS, Medical Director of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Comprehensive Obesity Management Program.
While surgery isn’t the right choice for everyone, NOVA bariatrics believe there are some misconceptions that make people hesitant from discussing the option with their doctors.
There are several types of weight loss surgery but the most common one is gastric bypass. Gastric bypass typically results in 60-80% of excess weight loss.
This blog will discuss gastric bypass surgery to answer some of your common questions, including what BMI you really need to have to qualify for the procedure and whether you can expect to gain any weight back.
1. Weight loss surgery is safe.
After undergoing gastric bypass surgery, patients spend approximately two to three days in a clinic or hospital. A shorter time compared to the average post-surgery time of weight loss surgery patients in general. If some complications develop, you will need to stay longer.
You will be supervised closely by a team of weight loss surgery experts. You will have daily monitoring of your vital signs, temperature, heartbeat, blood pressure, and respiration. You’ll also have to work with a dietitian so you can take nutritional supplements which are essential for your recovery. These can help to avoid complications.
2. No major cuts
Gastric bypass surgery is minimally invasive, meaning you will only have three to five incisions that are less visible since they are quite small (about 1/2 to 1 inch long).
You also need to know that the surgical wounds vary from one patient to another. In some cases, patients may have wide scar and wounds.
Some things which can affect the appearance of the scars are the patient’s genetic characteristics (keloid-prone), surgeon abilities, wound infection, and size and type of suture during operation.
3. Surgery reduces long-term mortality
A study reported that bariatric surgery reduces long-term mortality in severely obese patients. According to the study, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, musculoskeletal disorders, endocrinological disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer were significantly decreased for patients who underwent weight-loss surgery.
4. Excess skin
Your weight loss may be good on the scale, but you may not like what you see in the mirror. Excess skin is a problem for bariatric patients. To others, loose-skin visibility is almost as bad (or worse) than the unhealthy weight. To reduce excess skin, you need to exercise and undergo various procedures such as:
- Brachioplasty (upper arms)
- Upper-body lift (breast and back)
- Lower-body lift (belly buttocks, hips, and thighs)
- Medial thigh lift (inner and outer thighs)
5. Surgery Lowers Cancer Risk
Gastric bypass surgery is reported to have the ability to reduce the total incidence of cancer, with a substantial decrease particularly in cancers related to obesity and breast cancer. Obesity cancers such as:
- Endometrial cancer
- Colon cancer
- Postmenopausal breast cancer
NOVA Bariatrics is committed to guide you every step of the way as you get your life back through weight loss surgery. We offer several weight loss surgery options so that you and your doctor can choose the best option to fit your personal needs. Contact our weight loss doctors in Dallas today to book an appointment.
Dr.Alibhai
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