Amid a growing obesity epidemic, America is in dire need of a solution to the ever-worsening problem. With a variety of surgical options available, bariatric surgery has become the most popular option for many. The question is, which specific form of bariatric surgery is best? There are so many options for weight loss surgery available these days. You’ve heard of gastric bypass, lap band, and sleeve gastrectomy but do you know which one is right for you? There are pros and cons to each. While that question may keep you up at night (not really), we will cut to the chase and let you know what has worked for as many other people who have taken surgery for weight loss.
People who are overweight are normally in a state of constant panic, especially when they think about having to join their obese friends in the gym every evening. Most of them buy into a crazy new fad diet that promises fast weight loss. This sometimes works but more often than not, it doesn’t. So, what’s a person to do? Should they consider surgical options such as liposuction or gastric bypass? If you’re considering surgical options to treat your obesity, there are a few things you need to be aware of first.
Which Surgery Is Best for Weight Loss? Secrets Revealed
Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. It has been approved by the FDA for people with a BMI of 40 or greater. The surgery should be considered as a last resort after lifestyle and medication changes have proven ineffective.
A new study comparing three forms of weight-loss surgery in over 46,000 individuals may be of assistance. Gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, as well as adjustable gastric banding were the three different treatment options.
SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY
Gastric sleeve surgery is a procedure used to help people lose weight and improve health. During this operation, the surgeon removes a large portion of the patient’s stomach, thereby limiting the amount of food they can eat. Patients often lose weight quickly after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery. The body continues to produce hormones that make you feel full, but because you can’t fit as much food in your stomach, it takes less food to reach this fullness level. This provides the feeling of being full very quickly and is an effective long-term weight loss solution, making it one of the best surgical options for obese patients. Dr. Yernaz works to remove a large amount of the stomach so patients have to eat less than they would with traditional liposuction or gastric bypass surgery. The procedure involves removing nearly all of the tissue from the top of the stomach and sealing it off so food and drink cannot pass through.
HOW DOES SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY Function?
The sleeve gastrectomy is the most commonly performed bariatric surgery in the United States because it is the safest and most effective procedure for weight loss. The way that the surgery works is by removing a large portion of your stomach, which makes it harder to eat. It also reduces your hunger hormone levels, which makes you feel less hungry. Moreover, patients who undergo this type of surgery generally lose about 60 percent of their excess weight within two years.
A sleeve gastrectomy involves an incision being made around your belly button, and then the doctor removes part of your stomach by cutting out a banana-shaped segment from the top and bottom of your stomach. The remaining skin is then used to form a tube that measures about six inches long and half an inch in diameter. This new stomach is called a “sleeve.” At first, patients should eat only three small meals of pureed or soft foods per day, such as nonfat yogurt, cottage cheese, and pureed vegetables. Within a few weeks, those who can chew solid food can begin to add soft foods like eggs and yogurt to their diet. After six months, many patients transition to a diet of normal foods in smaller portions.
“The most important factor in weight loss after gastric sleeve is following the dietary plan, which is different than what most people are doing,” says Dr. Sarras. “You have to be prepared to change your lifestyle because this surgery isn’t just about weight loss but also about learning how to eat healthily.”
What Everyone Ought to Know About Which Surgery Is Best for Weight Loss?
Gastric bypass
Gastric bypass surgery works by removing the patient’s stomach and creating a small stomach pouch at the end of their small intestine that connects to their small intestine via a narrow channel. This limits the amount of food that can enter the patient’s body after eating, causing them to feel full faster than normal and for longer periods. Gastric banding is similar to the gastric bypass in that it limits the amount of food that can enter the body, but instead uses an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach to do so. This is a newer procedure—it was first performed in 1992—and still requires frequent adjustments throughout its lifetime. Gastric bypass is a surgical procedure that reduces the stomach’s capacity and reroutes part of the small intestine. A gastric banding procedure restricts the size of the stomach without significantly affecting its shape. As with gastric bypass, a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach where food can be held until it digests enough to pass into the lower part of the stomach. The surgery also bypasses 1/4 of the small intestine, restricting food absorption and causing mild weight loss. Gastric bypass surgery requires patients to eat considerably less. By cutting the stomach into two parts, 1/4th of the patient’s small intestine is severed, which reduces nutrient absorption by 35%. As a result, patients experience fullness after eating as little as 2 ounces of solid food. The gastric bypass procedure is amongst the most prevalent procedures of bariatric surgery. When fitness and healthy eating haven’t succeeded or you’re having major health complications from your obesity, a gastric bypass is performed. Hormone levels, bacteria, as well as other molecules inside the gastrointestinal system are altered by the bypass, which may impact appetite as well as metabolism. Even though a doctor may do so if medically needed, reversing a gastric bypass is tough.
Adjustable gastric band
Gastric banding is a form of bariatric surgery (weight reduction surgery) in which a silicone band is placed around the upper part of your stomach to create a smaller pouch and then attaches to an outlet on the body. This restricts food intake so you feel full after eating a small amount of food. As with other weight-loss surgeries, gastric banding helps you lose weight by restricting how much food you eat. The adjustable gastric band has several advantages over gastric bypass surgery. It’s reversible; after the band is removed, the stomach returns to its original size and shape within days or weeks. Also, unlike with gastric bypass surgery, there’s no need for additional and potentially risky procedures to adjust the gastric band if it doesn’t work as expected—the band itself can simply be deflated and removed (although this does require another surgery). Another advantage is that patients who have an AGB have less chance of suffering prolonged after surgery treatments. The side effects are usually short-term and related to either an allergic reaction or surgical error. The most common side effect is an inflamed port where the tube for inflating and deflating the band is inserted beneath. AGB is less invasive than both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. It creates a small stomach pouch by placing a ring around the top part of the stomach and filling it with saline (saltwater) or gas from a separate port site under the skin. The AGB is not appropriate for every morbidly obese individual. Candidates must meet a set of clinical criteria.
An AGB costs around $10,000 – $15,000 in the United States. However, cost-effectiveness studies show that it may be more cost-effective than other treatments over three to five years.
Adjustments to the Lap-Band® are made in steps until the proper proportion band restriction is found, also known as that of the “perfect spot” or “ecofriendly zone.”
DUODENAL SWITCH
The duodenal switch surgery reduces the stomach pouch to about the size of a walnut, leaving a small bowel opening for food to pass through. After consuming a meal, a patient may be able to completely eat dinner in half the time it would normally take. Additionally, patients lose weight because they’re still absorbing calories, but without being able to consume as much food. The duodenal switch surgery creates two separate compartments in the stomach. It restricts food consumption by removing up to three-fourths of the stomach’s lining. The remaining stomach is only able to hold a small amount of food, making it easy to eat less. All food passes through a small opening at the lower end of the stomach into the intestine.
The duodenal switch (DS) surgery gives patients back control of their lives. Patients who undergo the procedure have a more manageable weight loss process and enjoy an improved quality of life by eating smaller, healthier meals, and having fewer issues with diabetes and obesity-related conditions that are directly related to overeating.
DUODENAL SWITCH: HOW DOES IT WORK?
Duodenal switch (DS) surgery is used for the treatment of severe obesity, with a success rate higher than other procedures. The DS procedure is only recommended for individuals who are near their ideal weight because it is less effective at helping patients lose weight and maintain it long-term than either gastric bypass (RYGB) or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Patients can experience substantial weight loss after having DS surgery, but some may regain the weight following the procedure due to their inability to control their eating behavior. In the surgical procedure known as duodenal switch or DS, the first 8–13 feet (250–400 cm) of the small intestine—the alimentary limb—is disconnected from its normal site at the end of the duodenum, reattached to a different location on the intestine just beyond it, and reconnected to its blood vessels. In this way, food that should have been broken down by that portion of the mucosa is instead routed past it into a significantly shorter section of the intestine, where nearly all nutrients are absorbed. This combination of operations allows DS patients to lose at least 50–60% more weight than when they were overweight, according to Michael Lutz, MD, who wrote his doctoral thesis on DS surgery in 2005 and has performed over 200 such surgeries since then.
Conclusion
There are too many variables to say for sure which weight loss surgery is best for you, so use our guide as a starting point. When it comes down to it, you’ll have to make your own decision after consulting with your health care team. That said, if you’re not looking for an invasive procedure and want to avoid making long-term dietary changes, a gastric band will probably be your best option.
What can I expect in the aftermath of surgery?
The key to a speedy recovery is not to rush your body. Just as you wouldn’t try to run a marathon right after getting out of bed, you also shouldn’t try to overexert yourself after surgery. You can do things like showering, walking around the house, or taking short walks in your neighborhood. A physical therapist can teach you exercises and stretches that will help you recover more quickly.
What can I anticipate losing in terms of weight?
Each of these weight loss surgeries has a success rate similar to the others, except for a few outliers. Slightly less than half of the patients undergoing any type of weight loss surgery are happy with the results after 5 years, regardless of whether they go under the knife or not. WebMD reports that patients who underwent bariatric surgery lost an average of 34 lbs after 1 year.
How would you describe my way of life?
Have you been a hardworking professional who journeys frequently? If you have a busy lifestyle, the Sleeve Gastrectomy is indeed a moderate procedure that is appropriate for folks who are always on the move. Assuming you have a big bit of weight to reduce and it is keeping you from becoming productive, the Duodenal Switch operation may be able to help with weight loss and keep it off.
References:
- https://www.centerforweightlosssurgery.com/resources/which-surgery-is-right-for-you/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/gastric-bypass-surgery/about/pac-20385189
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20181030/which-weight-loss-surgery-is-best#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20that%20gastric%20bypass%20appeared%20to%20be%20most,body%20weight%20after%20five%20years.
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/bariatric-surgery/types
- https://jetmedicaltourism.com/weight-loss-surgery-in-mexico/
