The benefits of bariatric surgery to your overall health are numerous. Weight loss surgery can literally change your life for the better.
Most of the changes you will see after having bariatric surgery are directly related to the amount of weight that is lost. Weight loss through bariatric surgery is more likely to be permanent than weight lost through diet plans or simply reducing calories. The severely obese person often fails at such diets, but can reap the advantages of weight loss from surgery.
Types of Bariatric Surgery
First, there are three major types of bariatric surgery. All have benefits and risks. The first type, gastric bypass surgery, is performed by a doctor who essentially closes off the lower half of the stomach and the upper half of the small intestine. The upper half of the stomach is connected to the lower half of the small intestine, allowing for less food and calorie absorption, and rapid weight loss.
The second type is called sleeve gastrectomy. The procedure is minimally invasive and thus less risky. During the procedure, the surgeon removes 75% of the stomach.
Adjustable gastric banding is the least invasive type of bariatric surgery. An adjustable band is placed on the stomach, creating an upper and lower region. The opening between the two is very small, only allowing a small amount of food to pass through at a time. The individual is physically restricted in the amount they can eat because the upper half of the stomach gets full and can hold no more.
Long Term Success
The long term success of bariatric surgery is high. It is much higher than the success rate of those who try to diet. Dieting often results in some weight loss with subsequent weight gain again. In bariatric surgery, however, ninety percent of those previously affected by severe obesity are successful at maintaining fifty percent or more of their excess weight loss. Most of those severely obese individuals were not able to lose weight previously by traditional methods prior to the surgery. This success rate is due to a number of factors, but is ultimately true because individuals are simply not able to consume as much food as they did before. Additionally, as they lose weight, they have more energy to burn more calories.
Increased Energy
Those who lose weight through bariatric surgery have more energy due to the rapid weight loss. This energy makes a person feel better all around. It can then be expended doing physical exercise, thus increasing the results of the weight loss. The more that is lost, the more energy one has available to expend. The extra exercise one gets is also good for the cardiovascular system.
General Reduction in Disease
Undergoing bariatric surgery helps to reduce, and sometimes even eliminate diseases that have occurred due to being overweight. Many diseases are caused by obesity and the body’s inability to function effectively. When there is a significant amount of extra fat, many parts of the body including the heart and pancreas, cannot do their job the way they are supposed to. Bariatric surgery offers people a chance at weight loss that can often reduce or reverse these inefficiencies.
Diabetes
Diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to break down all of the sugar in the person with excess weight. Studies have shown that with great weight loss, Type 2 diabetes patients have shown marked improvement, and even remission of the disease. When weight is lost, there is a good chance that the need to take medications and insulin for this condition will be reduced and possibly eliminated. It is likely to reduce blood sugar numbers and A1C values with the significant decrease of weight. Check with your doctor before changing your medication doses.
Heart Disease
Heart disease includes many different ailments and conditions, including hypertension and arteriosclerosis. It can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. When the body is carrying too much excess weight, the heart has to work too hard to pump the blood to all of the different organs. Losing weight through bariatric surgery decreases the stress on the heart. Many individuals see marked decrease of blood pressure, as well as a decrease in overall cholesterol values. Often, weight loss patients can reduce or stop taking medications that have previously kept these issues in check. Check with your doctor before stopping or changing any medications.
Improvement of Other Conditions
Weight loss through bariatric surgery also leads to an increased feeling of well being. People sleep better and often can participate in activities they were previously unable to do. This is often the result of improvement in other conditions that may have been brought on by severe obesity. . Sleep apnea often resolves itself with the massive weight loss, allowing people a better and more restful sleep. Asthma and gastroesophogeal reflux are also often improved. Additionally, without the added weight on the bones and joints, arthritis is often lessened, or even eliminated, when a person loses a great amount of weight through bariatric surgery.
Increased longevity
Those who have bariatric surgery are likely to live longer than those who remain severely obese. Since the severely obese are prone to many diseases and illnesses due to being obese, when they lose weight, they reduce their chances of dying from complications of those illnesses. Studies have shown a lower rate of mortality due to obesity related disease when patients undergo bariatric surgery. The risk of dying from the surgery itself is very low when done by a trained and experienced doctor, and thus the benefits overshadow the minor risk.
Improvement in Quality of Life
The quality of life of one who has undergone bariatric surgery is also much better than one who remains severely obese. People who have lost weight simply feel better about themselves, and have higher self esteem. They are more likely to participate in social functions and to be employed than the severely obese. There is less chance of these individuals becoming depressed or having anxiety. They simply function better at everything they do and this makes them feel happier.
The benefits of bariatric surgery are great while the risk is low. Now is a great time to take action and really enjoy your life. Contact My Destination Weightloss today for your consultation.
Sources:
https://asmbs.org/patients/benefits-of-bariatric-surgery
http://www.empoweryourhealth.org/magazine/vol6_issue3/the_health_benefits_of_bariatric_surgery_beyond_weight_loss_are_they_real
