Gastric Bypass or adjustable gastric banding surgeries

To begin with, going through a bariatric surgical procedure should be considered primarily for the overall improvement of health and to discontinue a seriously threatening lifestyle. It is a choice that requires a serious, long-term committment, and the decision should not be made solely for social acceptance or cosmetic reasons.

The principal outcomes of either of these two surgeries are weight loss and a decrease in medical problems. Usually, a patient whose weight loss brings them down to a BMI range between 25 and 30 will continue to improve their health and well-being over a long period of time. Patients should be wary of weight loss which puts them in a BMI range between 22 and 25, as loss of strength and energy is a common and harmful result.

To illustrate, let’s look at a female, weight of 310 pounds, height of 5’6” and a BMI of 50. Following surgery the expected weight loss for this patient would be about 170 pounds, with a BMI of 27.

If the gastric bypass surgery was performed the patient would lose half of this weight during the first three months following surgery. The rest of the weight would be lost over the next 9 to 12 months, when the patient will reach an optimal balance. Adjustable gastric banding patients would not experience weight loss as dramatically, as it would be a more constant progression, reaching the target weight two to three years after surgery.

With losing approximately 170 pounds, the two important outcomes mentioned above would expect to be achieved. Although the Ideal Body Weight (IBW) for a female of this height is 130 pounds, it has been noted that a patient with a starting weight of over 250 pounds would suffer from weakness and other health problems if their end weight is less than about 150 pounds.

Other frequent measures of weight loss success are the statistics. Close to 85 percent of patients will lose more than half of their unhealthy weight and will continue to keep it off for the long term.

It is important to remember that the goal of these programs is to dramatically improve the patient’s health, and consequently reduce or eliminate entirely certain problematic health conditions related to obesity. If achieved, this will also result in significant savings as the patient will spend less on medications. Following gastric bypass surgery a patient can look for the following to take place.

 

Conditions which are expected to improve or disappear completely:

> Diabetes
> High Blood Pressure
> Obstructive Sleep Apnea
> GE Reflux Disease
> Knee Pain

 

Conditions which have a good chance of improving:

> Congestive heart failure
> Hypercholesterolemia, Hypertriglyceridemia
> Urinary incontinence
> Menstrual irregularity, Infertility
> Back pain
> Hirsutism (in women)
> Pseudotumor cerebri

 

Conditions that will most likely not be affected:

> Depression
> Vascular disease
> Arthritis
> Organ damage already present due to obesity (however, the weight loss lessens future strain)

 

Gastric bypass surgery, in conjunction with our WeightWise program, has yielded the following results:

• 80 percent of patients realize their goal of excess weight loss as well as greatly improved health and self-esteem, and go on to lead long, healthy lifestyles.
• Just Over 15 percent of patients experience complications that may result in another operation, inadequate weight loss or digestive problems. However, these are issues that can be treated with our help, and the patient will eventually reach the desired result.
• 2 to 3 percent of patients experience considerable problems which are never resolved. This is usually due to struggles with weight loss and maintaining the proper diet, or a dysfunction with the stomach pouch. As with any surgical procedure there are risks, and unfortunately a very small percentage of patients die as a direct result of the surgery. It is a major surgery which requires a careful and well thought-out decision from the patient.

We have outlined the primary reasons to consider bariatric surgery, those being the positive results which can lead to a significantly healthier lifestyle. Generally, people who have this surgery are more successful in becoming and staying healthy than those who choose to lose the weight on their own, and these findings include patients who experience the serious difficulties stated above.