Bariatric Surgery: Ways to Perform the Surgery
The simplistic approach to losing weight is to tell people to take balanced, nutritious, low-carbohydrate diets and being physically active.
But experts say that making small healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits is actually not realistic for someone who is overweight or obese, having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above.
For people who have bothersome areas of fat that don't respond to traditional non-surgical treatments, such as dietary and lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery can offer a solution.
Patients with potentially life-threatening obesity are increasingly turning to one or other form of bariatric surgery as a lifesaver and often as a last resort.
Bariatric surgery spans a variety of weight loss surgeries that can end your struggle with obesity forever by making permanent changes to your anatomy.
Bariatric surgery procedures like gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy have proven safe and effective in quickly reducing the significant amount of excess body fat.
Ways to Perform the Surgery Each weight loss surgery works in one of three ways: Restriction: The procedures like Vertical banded gastroplasty limit the amount of food intake by surgically shrinking the size of the stomach Malabsorption: Biliopancreatic diversion and duodenal switch are some malabsorption procedures that aim at inducing decreased absorption of calories from the food by shortening and rerouting a portion of the small intestine.
A combination of both interventions: Procedures in this category take advantage of both restriction and malabsorption.
In the combined procedure first a stapled stomach is created and then connected to the small intestine.
Open or Laparascopic Surgery Bariatric surgery can be performed using open or laparascopic methods, which involve opening the abdomen in the standard manner, or by laparoscopy.
Bariatric surgery has been practiced in one form or another for many decades.
Traditionally, the surgery was performed as an open procedure, in which bariatric surgeons create a long incision to open up the stomach.
Due to the longer incision, an open procedure usually results in a longer stay (for six to seven days) in the hospital.
Open surgery patients will need weeks to heal before returning to work and regular physical activities.
A longer wound may put the patient at an increased risk of wound complications such as infections and hernias.
Most of the bariatric surgery procedures are now performed through laparoscopic technique.
This approach is considered minimally invasive because it's performed through small abdominal incisions.
On average, four to six ports are created in the abdomen through which complex instruments, including a small video camera, are inserted to perform the procedure.
Since laparoscopic procedure requires a smaller cut, it leads to shorter hospital stay, lesser recovery time and smaller scars than with open bariatric surgery.
Most surgeons prefer the laparoscopic approach because it creates less tissue damage, and has reduced risk of wound complications such as infection and hernias, which usually occur after surgery.
Following the laparoscopic surgery, many patients are able to recover in a fraction of the time.
Depending on their general health condition, some patients return to work in less than two weeks and many are able to quickly return to physical activity.
Both laparoscopic and open approaches to bariatric surgery help you with your weight loss goals.
However, not all patients are suitable for the laparoscopic method.
The extremely obese patients, who have already undergone stomach surgery, or who have complex medical problems such as severe heart and lung disease may require the open approach.
Likewise, not all bariatric surgeons are trained to perform this less-invasive laparoscopic method.
According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), laparoscopic operation should be performed only by bariatric surgeons who are experienced and well versed in both laparoscopic and open techniques.
But experts say that making small healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits is actually not realistic for someone who is overweight or obese, having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above.
For people who have bothersome areas of fat that don't respond to traditional non-surgical treatments, such as dietary and lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery can offer a solution.
Patients with potentially life-threatening obesity are increasingly turning to one or other form of bariatric surgery as a lifesaver and often as a last resort.
Bariatric surgery spans a variety of weight loss surgeries that can end your struggle with obesity forever by making permanent changes to your anatomy.
Bariatric surgery procedures like gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy have proven safe and effective in quickly reducing the significant amount of excess body fat.
Ways to Perform the Surgery Each weight loss surgery works in one of three ways: Restriction: The procedures like Vertical banded gastroplasty limit the amount of food intake by surgically shrinking the size of the stomach Malabsorption: Biliopancreatic diversion and duodenal switch are some malabsorption procedures that aim at inducing decreased absorption of calories from the food by shortening and rerouting a portion of the small intestine.
A combination of both interventions: Procedures in this category take advantage of both restriction and malabsorption.
In the combined procedure first a stapled stomach is created and then connected to the small intestine.
Open or Laparascopic Surgery Bariatric surgery can be performed using open or laparascopic methods, which involve opening the abdomen in the standard manner, or by laparoscopy.
Bariatric surgery has been practiced in one form or another for many decades.
Traditionally, the surgery was performed as an open procedure, in which bariatric surgeons create a long incision to open up the stomach.
Due to the longer incision, an open procedure usually results in a longer stay (for six to seven days) in the hospital.
Open surgery patients will need weeks to heal before returning to work and regular physical activities.
A longer wound may put the patient at an increased risk of wound complications such as infections and hernias.
Most of the bariatric surgery procedures are now performed through laparoscopic technique.
This approach is considered minimally invasive because it's performed through small abdominal incisions.
On average, four to six ports are created in the abdomen through which complex instruments, including a small video camera, are inserted to perform the procedure.
Since laparoscopic procedure requires a smaller cut, it leads to shorter hospital stay, lesser recovery time and smaller scars than with open bariatric surgery.
Most surgeons prefer the laparoscopic approach because it creates less tissue damage, and has reduced risk of wound complications such as infection and hernias, which usually occur after surgery.
Following the laparoscopic surgery, many patients are able to recover in a fraction of the time.
Depending on their general health condition, some patients return to work in less than two weeks and many are able to quickly return to physical activity.
Both laparoscopic and open approaches to bariatric surgery help you with your weight loss goals.
However, not all patients are suitable for the laparoscopic method.
The extremely obese patients, who have already undergone stomach surgery, or who have complex medical problems such as severe heart and lung disease may require the open approach.
Likewise, not all bariatric surgeons are trained to perform this less-invasive laparoscopic method.
According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), laparoscopic operation should be performed only by bariatric surgeons who are experienced and well versed in both laparoscopic and open techniques.
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