Overview

What is Bariatric Surgery?

Exercise and diet alone often fail to treat people with extreme and excessive obesity effectively. Bariatric surgery is performed to help such individuals lose weight. Bariatric surgery aims to restrict food intake due to hormonal effects and decrease the absorption of food in the stomach and intestines. A reduction in the amount of calory absorbed enables patients to lose weight and reduce obesity-related health risks. Evidence suggests that bariatric surgery may lower death rates for patients with severe obesity, especially when coupled with healthy eating and lifestyle after surgery.

Types of Bariatric Surgeries: -

Various types of bariatric surgeries can be performed. Nowadays, most bariatric surgeries are laparoscopic because compared with open surgery, it requires less extensive cuts, causes relatively minimal tissue damage, leads to fewer post-operative complications, and allows early hospital discharge.

Three types of operations are: -

• Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG)
• Mini gastric bypass
• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB)

Who requires Bariatric Surgery?

Bariatric surgery is not for everyone who is severely overweight. You may need to meet some medical guidelines to qualify for weight-loss surgery. These include:

• Your Body Mass Index is 37 or higher (extreme obesity).
• Your BMI is 32 to 36.5(obesity), and have serious weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or severe sleep apnea(a sleep disorder that happens when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep). In some cases, you may qualify for certain types of weight-loss surgery if your BMI is <32 and you have serious weight-related health problems

Risk factors:

Bariatric surgery includes potential health risks, both in the short term and long term.

-Common risks associated with the surgical procedure can include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Infection
• Adverse reactions to anaesthesia
• Blood clots
• Lung or breathing problems
• Leaks in the gastrointestinal system
• Death (rare)

Which type of Bariatric Surgery is best for you?

It depends on your specific situation. Your surgeon will take many factors into account, including body mass index, eating habits, other health issues, previous surgeries, and the risks involved with each procedure.

Diet post-bariatric Surgery: -

After surgery, you generally won't be allowed to eat for one to two days, so that your stomach and digestive system can heal. Then, you'll follow a specific diet for a few weeks. The diet begins with liquids only, then progresses to pure, soft foods, and eventually to regular foods. You may have many restrictions or limits on how much and what you can eat and drink.

Benefits of Bariatric Surgery: -

Bariatric surgeries can provide long-term weight loss. The amount of weight you lose depends on your type of surgery and your change in lifestyle habits. It may be possible to lose half, or even more, of your excess fat within 3-6months. In addition to weight loss, Bariatric surgery may improve or resolve conditions often related to being overweight, including:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Obstructive sleep apnoea /li>
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Osteoarthritis (joint pain)
• Surgery can also improve your ability to perform routine daily activities, which could
• help improve your quality of life.