Home  >>  Write  >>  Health  >>  Weight Loss  >>  Bariatric Surgery


advertisement


Your Options

For the millions of people who are overweight or suffer from morbid obesity, a simple diet plan and exercise routine are not enough. Even in the age of fad diets, weight loss supplements and ab-curl infomercials, the options for maximizing overall health and well-being seem few and far between. And let’s face it, many of these so-called get-fit-quick methods often lead to other health problems like heart attacks and a lack of proper nutrition.   

Bariatric surgery is often the only alternative for people who suffer from obesity and the chronic health related illnesses that stem from it. Being morbidly obese doesn’t just mean that you look larger than most people: the risks of being obese are vast and go on to include both physical and psychological illnesses that have the potential to damage the obese person in uncompromising ways.

Just because you are medically obese does not mean that you shouldn’t have the rights and opportunities as anyone else. Bariatric surgery can help restore your overall mental health while serving its main goal: optimizing your body mass as to rid you of further complications like coronary heart failure, diabetes, and cancer.

One of the advantages to bariatric surgery is the number of surgical options available. Understanding these options will help you make the choice that will benefit you to help fulfill your long-term goals. There are eight surgical methods available, although depending on your medical history and your current medical condition, only a few (if any) may be suitable for you. The eight recognized bariatric surgery options include:

  • Laproscopic bariatric surgery
  • Bariatric bypass surgery
  • Roux-en-y (RNY)
  • Duodenal Switch (DS)
  • Biliopancreatic Diversion (BD)
  • Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)
  • Sapala-Wood Micropuch
  • Adjustable Gastric Banding (AGB)

Laparoscopic surgery involves making five 1/2- inch incisions and performing the operation by observation through a small camera. Other procedures that fall under laparoscopic surgery include Roux-en-y (banding of the small intestine), and Adjustable Gastric Banding (banding of the small intestine via an adjustable band).

Typically, bariatric bypass surgery involves a division of the stomach, limiting the amount of food brought in. The Biliopancreatic Diversion involves removing part of the stomach and bypassing much of the small intestine. The Duodenal Switch is like a cross-between a biliopancreatic and gastric stapling procedure (like the Roux-en-y).

The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty was one of the first kinds of bariatric surgical procedures and is very similar to the Rouz-en-y procedure. The Sapala-Wood Micropuch process was developed by physicians at Harper University Hospital.  It’s an operation in which the stomach is reduced to the size of the gastric cardia; the cardia is durable and does not stretch over time as a result.

These eight options for bariatric surgery will help you and your bariatric physician weigh your wants and needs depending on your medical history and current medical profile. Each bariatric surgical procedure is unique in it’s own right and offers many advantages and potential disadvantages, again, depending on you and your medical background.

If you’ve had enough experiencing the downfalls of fad diets and get-fit-quick methods, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that bariatric surgery can help make you feel wanted, needed and respected while you pursue a healthy lifestyle. With the slew of potential diseases and illnesses that arise from morbid obesity, perhaps it is time to think about the life you want to live. You still have a choice and a chance to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. 

Ad