weight loss surgery

To qualify for such surgery (except for liposuction which appears to be available to anyone willing to pay for it), a person must be severely obese, defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher. Obese people with a BMI of 30 to 39 may qualify for surgery if they have weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or heart disease.

Around 1975, a friend of mine from college underwent gastric bypass. At 600 pounds, he was then the heaviest person to undergo the procedure. He lost a lot of weight, down to about 300 pounds, but never slimmed down. He had many long-term problems related to his incisions (now the operation is done laparoscopically). When I last visited him in 1981, he was still having digestive and stool problems. Let’s say he had cleaning kits and sanitation supplies on hand in his bathroom and used them frequently.

I lost contact and I don’t remember exactly when he died, but he was probably in his early 40s. But it’s possible that without the surgery she would have died sooner. I don’t know if losing weight was worth the stress of the surgery and its aftermath.

Basically, a part of the small intestine is cut off from the digestive loop, so not as many calories are absorbed into your body. Unfortunately, this incomplete digestion means that some of the food you eat is not fully utilized and therefore must be excreted. Hence my friend’s bathroom problems.

And it also means that the nutrition in your food is also not fully utilized. And nutrition is what we need from food. That’s why we have to eat.

The chance of dying from gastric bypass surgery was 1 in 100 in 1998, but dropped to 1 in 500 in 2004. However, according to the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, it’s 94 percent of all weight loss. surgeries performed in the United States. (However, I don’t think they’re counting liposuction, just comparing gastric bypass to gastric banding.)

However, gastric bypass patients lose up to 50% of their weight in five years. That matches what I know from my friend’s experience. He remained a big man, but at least he could stay active, working and walking his dog.

Liposuction is well known. The surgeon uses a stainless steel tube called a cannula and a powerful vacuum to suck out the fat under the skin. Tumescent liposuction uses a lot of local anesthetic injected into the fat. This causes the targeted areas to become tumescent or swollen and firm.

The results of liposuction can vary depending on the skill of the surgeon. If they are inexperienced or not paying attention, they can leave your skin with bumps and depressions. Also, as with any surgery and anesthesia, there is always some risk.

Gastric banding is more commonly known as stomach stapling. There are two types: laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and vertical banded gastroplasty.

The first is the most common. The surgeon places a 2-inch-wide silicone band around the top of the stomach, greatly reducing its size. This makes you feel much fuller faster.

On average, a patient who undergoes this type of surgery will lose 40% of their weight, but results vary widely. The risk of death from this surgery is 1 in 2000. That’s still too high in my opinion.

I know a woman at work who had her stomach stapled this way. Of course, she was out of work for a while, but when she came back, she lost weight and didn’t suffer from any obvious complications. Of course, I am not aware of any stomach or digestive problems that she has had.

With the second type, a plastic band is placed around your stomach. However, patients do not lose as much weight and have more complications, so it is not done as often.

You should consult with your own doctor. Weight loss is complicated and difficult. But the next time you’re tempted to eat that chocolate cake or watch TV instead of walking, ask yourself if any of these surgical procedures are worth the pain and risk.