By Emilio Sanchez
Miami-Dade Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers obesity an epidemic, and it estimates that at least 2.6 million people die each year from this disease. In the United States, one in three people is classified as obese.
If you suffer from morbid obesity and all weight-loss options have been seriously tested and none has worked, perhaps it is time you consider bariatric surgery.
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery includes any surgical procedure on the stomach or intestines. In the United States, the most common procedure is gastric sleeve surgery, followed by gastric bypass and Lap-Band surgery.
What are its advantages?
- Produces significant long-term weight loss (60 to 80 percent excess weight loss)
- Restricts the amount of food that can be consumed
- May lead to conditions that increase energy expenditure
- Produces favorable changes in gut hormones that reduce appetite and enhance satiety
- Typical maintenance of >50% excess weight loss
What are the risks?
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks, although they can be avoided or minimized. The most common problems are gastric difficulties such as inflammation and diarrhea after eating, spillage in the surgical incision, hernias, infections, and pneumonia.
You should always consult your doctor before undergoing this type of surgery and explore other procedures and treatments that do not involve invasive methods.
