It is normal for patients to have concerns about safety when it comes to bariatric surgery or any surgical procedure. In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages that you should consider when deciding whether weight loss surgery is right for you.
Bariatric Surgical Procedures Are Amongst the Safest Surgical Procedures
It must be admitted that every surgical procedure has some risks. However, bariatric surgical procedures are among the safest surgical procedures. Bariatric surgical procedures are considered safer than other elective surgeries.
Some bariatric surgical procedures are performed using the laparoscopic method to reduce the risk of complications. Within the scope of laparoscopic surgical procedures, a thin sleeve called a laparoscope is used, which is inserted into the patient’s abdomen through the smallest possible incisions. Small cameras and instruments that can pass through small incisions are needed to perform this minimally invasive technique. According to the research, laparoscopic technique shortens the recovery time and hospital stay of the patient after the surgery, reduces the scarring and becomes a factor that increases the comfort of the patient after the surgery.
What Are the Risks of Bariatric Surgical Procedures?
It can be said that the risks of bariatric surgery are at a minimum level when compared with the risks such as diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension-related complications, and the increased probability of premature death that comes with living with obesity.
Potential risks associated with bariatric surgery procedures include dumping syndrome, development of kidney stones, failure to achieve desired weight loss, or weight regain after surgery.
However, most patients who undergo bariatric surgery and commit to sustained weight loss see a significant improvement in their overall health. Achieving a healthier weight can help eliminate sleep apnea, reverse type 2 diabetes, and improve high blood pressure, which can become a major obstacle to living a longer, healthier life.
What are the Types of Weight Loss Surgery?
Although weight loss surgery, the frequency of which has increased in recent years, consists of different procedures, weight loss surgery cannot be performed on every patient who complains about their excess weight.
Gastric Balloon
The balloon placed in the stomach and filled with air or water is called a gastric balloon. One of the options of Elipse gastric balloon, Medsil gastric balloon, Spatz gastric balloon, and Orbera gastric balloon is placed into the stomach by endoscopic method. The gastric balloon is inflated using serum, and it is ensured to reach a certain size. The gastric balloon remains in the stomach for 6 to 12 months.
Gastric Sleeve
In gastric sleeve surgery, which is one of the most commonly performed weight loss operations, 80% of the stomach is removed using the laparoscopic technique and a new stomach is formed in the form of a sleeve. As a result, the capacity of the stomach from 1 to 1.5 liters is reduced to 100 to 150 ml. Gastric sleeve surgery is not a reversible procedure.
After gastric sleeve surgery, care should be taken to chew the food thoroughly and to consume it in small portions while eating. High-calorie foods and beverages containing refined sugar should not be included in the diet. Regular exercise should be made a lifestyle habit.
Mini Gastric Bypass
It is the simplest and fastest procedure among weight loss surgeries. It is applied to reduce the stomach volume and to reduce the food absorption in the small intestines to enable the patient to lose weight.
Gastric Bypass
In the gastric bypass method, the stomach is divided into two parts, namely one large and one small. After the new small stomach is formed, a part of the beginning of the small intestine and the duodenum are bypassed and combined. This process restricts the patient’s calorie intake and reduces the absorption of the consumed nutrients.
Gastric bypass helps to eliminate both obesity and health problems caused by obesity. After the surgery, patients may need to take vitamin supplements for a long time. It is useful to get support from nutritionists or dietitians about the nutrition program to be applied in this process.
Duodenal Switch
After duodenal switch surgery, which directly affects metabolism, patients lose more weight than other procedures. It is a procedure that provides effective results in patients with a body mass index of 50 and above. Thanks to the duodenal switch method, which restricts food intake and absorption of food, it provides the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure caused by overweight.
Since it is a procedure that reduces fat absorption in foods, duodenal switch surgery provides optimum benefit, especially in patients who consume fatty foods. Although it is one of the procedures that provide the most weight loss among bariatric surgery procedures, it is known that the risk of developing complications during and after the surgery is higher.