Obesity Surgery
One qualifies for bariatric surgery if the following criteria are met:
- BMI more than 32.5 with associated diseases like diabetes, hypertension,
osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea etc. - BMI more than 37.5 with or without associated illnesses.
- Other methods of weight loss (dietary/medical management) have not been very effective in long term sustained weight loss.
- One is uncomfortable in performing routine activities due to excess weight.
- One must understand the surgical procedure for weight loss; the risks and lifestyle adjustments the procedure entails and the patient must be committed to making lifelong behavioral changes pertaining to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Choice of the surgical procedure which is best suited to the patient depends on:
- Medical and clinical conditions associated with obesity.
- Clinical assessment by the team.
- Patient’s lifestyle and Other related factors.
The gastric bypass works by creating a small stomach pouch which restricts intake of food and facilitates significantly smaller meals, which translates into less calories consumed. A major portion of the stomach and a part of the small intestine is bypassed (i.e. food does not enter this portion) which causes less absorption of food thus leading to lesser calories absorption.
- Gastric by pass surgery results in sustained (long-term) weight loss.
- Produces favorable changes in gut hormones that causes improvement in metabolism and diabetic status.
This surgery is performed by removing approximately 80 percent of the stomach. The remaining stomach looks like a banana or a sleeve of a shirt and hence called as ‘Sleeve’. The new stomach pouch being much smaller restricts food intake thus leading to weight loss.
- Sleeve gastrectomy causes favorable changes in gut hormones that suppress hunger, eliminates the portion of the stomach that produces the hunger stimulating hormone (Gherlin).
- It restricts the amount of food the stomach can hold, thus helping in weight loss.
Generally, hospital stay can be between three to four nights, unless there are situations demanding longer stay due to co morbid conditions/ high risk patients/ adverse events.
It will depend on the type of surgery and type of your work. In general, plan to take about 7 – 10 days off from work in usual cases where recovery is uneventful.