What is the effect of bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery can produce sustainable weight loss in obese people who have not achieved long-term success with other weight loss attempts. These are the most common procedures for patients undergoing bariatric surgery:
- sleeve gastrectomy
- gastric bypass
- mini gastric bypass
The procedure results in the loss of up to 80% of excess weight
Sleeve gastrectomy reduces the size of the stomach to limit the intake of foods and, at the same time, leads to a sensation of fullness much quicker. When evaluating overall suitability for surgery, your bariatric surgeon will determine if surgical treatment of obesity is for you and choose the best procedure.
As body mass index (BMI) increases, so does the risk of diseases caused by excessive weight gain – type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea. If your BMI is 35 or over, it means that you should probably lose over 50 kilograms to reduce the risk of obesity complications or treat them effectively. Without making changes, your health problems may get worse over time.
6 benefits of surgical obesity treatment
Bariatric surgery is not only an effective way to promote long-term weight loss. It also affects other important aspects of your health.
- Long-term remission for type 2 diabetes.
Bariatric surgery causes long-term remission of type 2 diabetes. The procedure is highly effective for obese patients with type 2 diabetes, allowing almost all patients to remain free of insulin and other related medications after surgery.
- Improved functioning of cardiovascular system.
Weight loss surgery decreases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and vascular system diseases. The weight loss achieved from the surgery can help prevent the risk of death associated with stroke, hypertension and myocardial infarction. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels can return to normal.
- Improved mental health.
Many obese people feel depressed because of social stigma and, oftentimes, they are diagnosed with anxiety disorders or depression. Social isolation, caused by not being able to participate in many activities of everyday life can lead to poor mental health. Losing this excess weight and introducing changes by patients during surgical obesity treatment have a significant impact on improving health. It was found that the people who underwent bariatric surgery reported an improvement of their mental health condition and further improvement just months after undergoing the surgery.
- Proper sleep quality.
Achieving and sustaining a normal weight range often allows people with sleep apnoea to stop using a CPAP machine. Up to 85% of patients experience remission of their sleep apnoea within one year after surgery. They experience significant improvements in sleep quality.
- Joint pain relief.
Excess body weight puts a lot of stress on your joints, often causing chronic pain and joint damage. The significant and sustained weight loss that occurs after bariatric surgery relieves the stress on joints, which allows patients to stop using pain medications and enjoy much more mobility.
- Improved fertility and PCOS.
The desire to expand family is also a common reason for undergoing bariatric surgery. Weight loss improves fertility and regulates hormonal imbalances. Bariatric surgery significantly improved the functioning of female sex hormones in over 90% of female patients.
Surgical treatment of obesity is a powerful tool for permanent and effective weight reduction, especially nowadays when the number of people struggling with excess body weight and its complications is growing at an alarming rate.
