Is Weight Loss Surgery An Option? Part II

(continued)

The usual candidates for weigh-loss surgery are very obese people with weight-related health problems (Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, etc) who have tried every other weight-loss option but have been unsuccessful. Furthermore, a person has to be psychologically fit and not have certain other medical conditions. Of course, it's up to the individual doctor to decide if it's right for you.

Another, much less-invasive form of weight-loss surgery is the 'Lap Band'-an adjustable band that squeezes the stomach in such a way that the upper part of the stomach is physically unable to accommodate much more than a cup or so of food before passing it on to the lower part. The stomach is still fully intact-it's just that it takes a lot longer for food to go through your body, forcing you to eat less and keeping you feel 'full' longer. The weight loss might not be as high as with the bypass, but it's much easier to recover from and causes a lot fewer complications. Best of all, it's reversible-just remove the band!

Pros and Cons

Obviously, the pro of weight-loss surgery is the weight loss! Not only can it make someone feel better about themselves, it can get rid of the asthma, heightened risk of some cancers, diabetes, blood pressure, pressure on joints and heart-related problems that come along with being obese.

Some of the possible cons are:

-It's not a 'magic bullet'. While gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries do cause significant weight loss, you have to do your part. I worked in a weight-loss clinic for several months when I first moved to Georgia. There was a patient once who came in after having had gastric bypass done because she had gained a lot of the weight back. This was mostly because, as her stomach stretched to accommodate more food, she went right back to her old eating habits. She was an 'emotional eater', meaning she ate to make herself feel better when she was down. If she wanted to keep the weight off, it would help to address the sources of the emotional distress over everything else. Like any other weight loss method, you have to be willing and able to commit to permanent lifestyle changes for the weight loss to 'stick'. 

-Insurance may not cover the surgery, or cover only part of it.

-There is an increased risk of gallstones. In fact, this happens with over one-third of gastric surgery patients.

-Many patients will have excess skin hanging off after the weight loss, requiring surgical removal.

-Scar tissue can develop along the stomach incisions, liver and other nearby organs. This can be very painful.

-It's possible for a person to suffer malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, but these can usually be helped with multivitamins.

For more information, visit http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery-pro-con-08/surgery_tips. Again, check with your doctor to see if weight-loss surgery of any kind is right for you.