Facts about Obesity Surgery
There are two main types of obesity surgery. The first is stomach banding or commonly called Lap-band surgery. The other is gastric bypass. Both of these surgeries produce the same results just in different time frames. There are requirements you must meet to have any obesity surgery.
Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. If you only need to lose 10-20 lbs you can count out this surgery. You must be at least one hundred pounds over weight to have weight loss surgery or a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 with co-morbidities or a BMI of 40 without co-morbidities. Co-morbidities are health related issues putting your life at risk due to obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea.
Stomach banding is a procedure in which a surgeon places a restrictive band around the stomach to reduce the amount of food a patient can consume at one time. This procedure produces a slower weight loss than gastric bypass. Generally stomach banding weight loss takes place over a period of three years and the band has to be readjusted periodically to produce positive results. This is a less invasive form of weight loss surgery.
Gastric bypass is the more invasive form of weight loss surgery. There are several types of gastric bypass the most common form of the surgery performed today is Roux-en-Y procedure. This surgery entails a surgeon stapling off the upper part of the stomach about the size of your thumb from the remainder of the stomach. They will then re-route the small intestine about 12 to 18 inches below the stomach to this newly formed pouch. This surgery produces a fast weight loss with the majority of weight lost in the first 12 months. This surgery produces faster results due to the decreased absorption rate and small stomach size.
Obesity surgery is a great option for those who are morbidity obese. These surgeries produce life changing results. The surgeries can help reduce and even eliminate the need for medications for life threatening diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
