Weight Loss Surgery

Considering the percentage of Indian population falling below poverty line, it is definitely hard to believe that India, with 41 million obese people, ranks third in obesity; just after US and China!

Now, who and what is to be blamed for landing India into such grave and undesired heights still remains debatable. However, it can be evidently said that it is not the food but our lifestyle along with stress levels that play the culprit.Obesity, although a physical condition that leads to manifold disorders; is in real, one of the greatest causes of mental stress and trauma. Let alone adolescents, adults too go through a phase of extreme low self esteem due to excessive weight that according to them hampers their look or appearance. And again, experts say that this stress they undertake, in turn adds to their already excess weight.

So, get rid of those flabs and not your peace of mind. Losing weight is easier if you start early. Bringing some effective changes in your diet and lifestyle can be sufficient to put off those extras. However, if all of those fail, you still have one resolve to opt for.

Weight loss surgeries can slim you down and shape you up to a much better version of yourself!

Weight Loss Surgeries – Working Principle:

Weight loss or Bariatric surgeries aim at treating obesity by implementing series of procedures that eventually facilitate curbing excess body weight. To start with, Bariatric surgeries are based on two working principles. These have been explained below:

Restriction: Surgery resizes stomach and/or intestine to reduce the food intake. Thus, with lesser food intake, controlling excess weight gain becomes feasible.

Diversion: The absorption of nutrients and minerals from the food we intake takes place in the small intestine. Therefore, surgery aims at routing the food around the small intestine, so as to facilitate malabsorption.

Today, there are different types of weight loss surgeries that work on the above mentioned principles. However, before we go into an in depth study of all of these procedures, knowing who can opt for weight loss surgery is essential.

How much is too Much?

Now, everybody who is not having an adorable physique cannot and rather should not opt for Bariatric surgeries. These surgical remedies should only be opted as the last resort to fight obesity.

To know if you are eligible for weight loss surgery, you need to get your BMI score. BMI stands for Body mass index and is defined as the ratio of body mass to square of body height.

A BMI score of greater than 40 makes you eligible for these surgeries. Also, a BMI ranging between 35 and 40, accompanied with other disorders such as diabetes, lipid abnormalities etc. can also be considered for weight reduction surgeries.

Once you have your BMI tested and have scores above 40, working towards surgical solutions is suggested. The following discussion will help you learn and choose the best amongst the different weight loss surgeries available in India.

Weight Loss Surgeries – Types:

Today, the most popular types of weight loss surgeries are:

• Biliopancreatic Diversion with duodenal switch
• Gastric Bypass Surgery
• Sleeve Gastrectomy
• Laproscopic Gastric Banding

Biliopancreatic Diversion with duodenal switch:

In this surgical procedure, a large part of the stomach is removed along with a considerable portion of your small intestine.

Now smaller stomachs get filled with smaller meals. In addition, as the size of your small intestine is also diminished to a large extent, nutrition absorption is slowed down or reduced. This is what is known as malabsorption of nutrients.

Thus, reduced food intake along with lesser nutrient absorption is enough to bring about visible weight reduction.

Results and Side effects:

Biliopancreatic procedures are not popularly carried out as other advanced procedures such as Gastric Bypass and Gastrectomy have come into play. Biliopancreatic surgery possess a great threat of Hernia that may involve other major surgeries.

Gastric Bypass Surgery:

One of the most common as well as practiced weight loss procedures is the gastric bypass surgery.

In this method, the stomach is divided into two unequal parts known as upper and lower pouch. The upper part of the stomach that is closer to esophagus has a smaller volume as compared to lower stomach.

Both these sections are divided and then sealed using staples so as to inhibit any possible interconnection between them. Once this is achieved, the lower portion of the small intestine is connected to smaller pouch so that the food can pass through the intestine for absorption and other metabolic activities.

However, the food passes through shorter distance in the digestive tract and therefore lesser calories are absorbed.

Results and Side effects:

One of the fastest procedures that brings about visible changes immediately after the surgery. Since it brings about quick results, other disorders related to obesity such as diabetes, heart disorders, arthritis are said to get cured rapidly.

The only concern regarding this procedure is the malabsorption of nutrients. As the body is not receiving sufficient nutrients, care needs to be taken that the same is made available through external and artificial sources.

Sleeve Gastrectomy:

Sleeve Gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that proves to be one of the most effective obesity solutions in cases where BMI is greater than 55.

In this method, 75% of human stomach is removed, leaving only a small portion through which the food can pass and eventually get processed.

The procedure specifically removes the part of stomach that produces hunger stimulating hormone.Thus, when you feel hungry after longer duration, food intake is automatically reduced and hence, chances of weight gain are completely abolished.

Results and Side effects:

The long term result of this procedure is still being evaluated; however, most doctors have termed it as a safe procedure to opt for. Rarest of cases may have blood clots and irritation that are definitely treatable.

Laproscopic Gastric banding:

Gastric banding is also one of the popular weight loss surgeries as it is done as a laproscopic procedure involving smaller scars.

In this process, the stomach is divided into two unequal sections similar to gastric bypass. However, here a band is used to create the two sections leaving a small opening that serves as an interconnection between the two.

The idea here remains that the food takes longer duration to travel from the stomach to small intestine due to the tiny opening through which it passes.

Thus, longer time the food takes to get digested, the less hungry you feel. Therefore, when you start eating after long intervals, your food intake definitely reduces.

Results and Side effects:

Gastric Banding although brings about satisfactory results; it is a very slow process and causes no dramatic weight loss post surgery. Again, Banding causes frequent vomiting for very small variation of food intake from permissible levels. The band used for this process may get dislocated; thereby needing future surgeries.

Control your weight through a remote – Go get it!

Maestro Rechargeable System – the latest weight loss solution is based on this electrical device that can be controlled through a remote.

The system is designed to send electrical pulses to the Vagus nerve situated between the stomach and brain. The nerve carries information to the brain from the stomach when it is full.

 

Electrical pulses generated by the system stimulate the nerves after fixed intervals that can be adjusted through a remote outside the body.

The procedure where the device gets implanted in the abdomen takes place as a minimally invasive method that can be administered as an outpatient.

It is one of the least invasive procedures of weight loss that can get over within 60 – 90 minutes under anesthesia.

Cool sculpting – The Best Obesity Solution:

Very recently, weight loss procedures have seen a dramatic up gradation with cool sculpting.

Scientists say that they had noticed children eating popsicles got dimples on cheek. And that inspired them to think if cooling could anyway affect fat cells!

Cool sculpting procedure aims at freezing fat cells in body until they reach a level where they get totally frozen and die.

These fat cells are then eliminated from the body naturally. It is a non invasive procedure gaining huge popularity overseas.

Flattened tummy with tummy tucks:

Many people although not obese, do have real fat depositions on their abdominal area. A fat tummy can make you appear as someone very overweight even when your BMI doesn’t prove you eligible for weight loss surgeries. In such situations, opting for tummy tucks can serve as the much needed solution.

Moreover, women after pregnancies can find their tummies loose, flabby with stretch marks all over. So, if they don’t plan future pregnancies, tummy tuck can give them real flat stomachs that may make others a little envious.

Again, people who have already undergone a weight loss surgery and still don’t find their stomachs flat as expected can also opt for these tummy tuck surgeries.

Tummy tuck should not be confused with liposuction which has been discussed in the later section. Tummy tuck aims at eliminating excess fat and lose skin from the abdominal area when diet and exercise could not bring about desired results.

Depending upon the extent of incisions required; there are three major types of tummy tuck procedures; namely:

• Complete abdominoplasty
• Partial or Mini abdominoplasty
• Circumferential abdominoplasty

Complete abdominoplasty involves deep incisions running from hip bone to hip bone and goes deep below to pubic hair levels. Navel contouring and other readjustments are involved.

Mini abdominoplasty involves shorter incision and no navel contouring is required as it is only opted when fat depositions are below the navel area.

Circumferential abdominoplasty involves incisions on the back as well as abdomen.

Results and Side effects:

Tummy tuck usually brings about expected and satisfactory results. However, as with any other surgery, this procedure also involves certain risks and complications.

Tummy tuck conducted inefficiently may cause excessive pain that sometimes becomes unbearable and uncontrollable even with the use of medicines:

• Tummy tuck leaves scars that require extensive efforts to get rid off and still does not guarantee complete results 
• In rarest of cases, tummy tuck may cause severe infection and bleeding under skin flaps
• Blood clots are also caused in most unfortunate and rarest of cases. 

Liposuction not an Obesity solution:

A cosmetic surgery that aims at removing fat from different body parts through a process of suction is known as Liposuction.

This method cannot be used as an obesity treatment tool as it only removes extra fat from body and does not guarantee the control of the same. This process only removes the number of fat cells in body that have grown bigger due fat deposition.

Exercise and diet are very important to ensure long term effects of liposuction. If proper lifestyle is not followed, the remaining fat cells in body may start growing in size and thus bring you back those flabs.

Liposuction is essentially carried out for abdomen, buttocks, chest, thighs, upper arms and neckline. People suffering from heart disorders, diabetes or week immune system should not opt for this procedure.

Liposuction essentially proves beneficial in cases of Lipomas, Gynecomastia and Lipodystrophy Syndrome.

Results and Side effects:

The positive results from this surgery entirely depend upon the lifestyle we adopt post surgery. It is an effective method to remove stubborn fat depositions from body. However, its results can only be guaranteed by having a healthy lifestyle every single day post operation.

If the procedure is not performed aptly, the surgery involves the following potential risks:

• Slight swelling, irritation, soreness and baggy skin
• Uneven skin and color changes are rarer to witness
• Fat depositions around essential organs post surgery is dangerous
• Infections are also possible

This was a general overview of weight loss surgeries and its types. Obesity has become a global alarming issue and finding a solution has become quintessential now.

It is for this purpose that newer technologies are trying to bring about different remedial measures such as the Maestro Rechargeable systems. Although, the results of these procedures are still being studied and analyzed, they are suppose to bring a much needed remedy for weight loss.

Weight loss surgeries are being performed regularly in different hospitals across every urban setups throughout the country. So, get your BMI tested today and consult your doctor to know if you really need a surgical solution for your obesity.