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If you’re someone who has struggled with their weight for some time now and have tried dieting and exercise but to no avail, then keep reading. Losing weight and keeping it off isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either.
There are many different ways to lose weight, some of which involve surgery and some of which don’t. Regardless of which type of procedure you choose, it’s safe to say that it will certainly be life-changing and you won’t regret getting it. If you’re curious to learn more, keep reading.
Different Types of Procedures
When it comes to weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all option. Each and every person is different and just because one method may have worked for some doesn’t mean that it will work for all. Weight loss surgery is extremely common, more specifically gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, and sleeve gastrectomy.
A gastric bypass is perhaps the most commonly used procedure and the one that has been around the longest. The procedure involves having a surgeon cut across the top of the stomach to create a small pouch. From there, the surgeon goes on to attach the pouch to the small intestine so that food bypasses the stomach and enters directly into the small intestine. The purpose of a gastric bypass is to restrict portion size and limit the absorption of foods.
Gastric banding is another procedure that hasn’t been around as long as the gastric bypass but isn’t new either. For the last decade, surgeons have been performing this procedure, which involves a surgeon placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach.
One of the benefits of getting gastric banding is that this is the only procedure that can be adjusted. This means that the amount of food a person’s stomach can hold can be altered by adjusting the tightness of the band around the stomach.
A sleeve gastrectomy is one of the newer procedures around but is just as effective as the rest. The procedure involves a surgeon removing 80 to 85 percent of the stomach, then stapling the remaining portion of stomach together. The point of this procedure is to limit the amount of food that you intake.
Another version of a gastrectomy would be what is known as an ESG, or endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. This differs from the aforementioned surgical procedures because it doesn’t require any surgery. Instead, the procedure reduces stomach volume by 50 to 70 percent by placing sutures endoscopically, thus creating a sleeve. This results in improved satiety and slower gastric emptying, thus keeping you feeling fuller for longer.
Unlike a traditional sleeve gastrectomy, the changes made with an ESG are considered permanent. Many people prefer this procedure not just because it is nonsurgical, but also because it is significantly safer with a faster recovery time.
Keep in mind that the type of procedure that you get all depends on your body and what your doctor recommends. Again, not all procedures will work for everyone so it’s important to talk to your physician to find out what your best option may be.
Benefits of These Procedures
If you’re someone who is considering some sort of weight loss procedure, it’s safe to say that you’re doing it to lose weight. However, there are other benefits to getting a weight loss procedure that don’t just involve losing weight. Research has shown that weight loss surgery causes long-term remission of type 2 diabetes. This means that these procedures are highly effective in helping patients combat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Another benefit to weight loss surgery would be the improvement of your overall cardiovascular health. It’s been discovered that weight loss surgery decreases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral heart disease. Not to mention, it can help prevent the risk of death associated with stroke, hypertension and myocardial infarction.
This is thanks to the fact that after the surgery or procedure, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can return to normal after surgery. This in turn, reduces these risks and improves overall well-being.
If you’re someone who is obese and also suffers from depression, you may also benefit from weight loss surgery in more ways than one. Gaining too much weight can take a huge toll on your mental health and your self-confidence, so it’s no surprise that people who carry significant excess weight find it difficult to participate in activities they might otherwise enjoy.
Losing the extra weight has been shown to significantly improve emotional health in patients who were already suffering from depression. In fact, research has found that people who underwent bariatric surgery had a 32.7% decrease in depression at the time of surgery and 16.5% decrease six to 12 months after surgery.
It’s not uncommon for people who are overweight to suffer from sleep apnea. Unfortunately, this means having to rely on a CPAP machine at bedtime to help them sleep. But with weight loss surgery, about 80 to 85% of patients experience remission of their sleep apnea just one year after surgery.
Getting a surgical procedure to lose weight can also help relieve you of your joint pain. It’s a lot of work for your body to carry all that excess weight around, so it’s no surprise that your joints are not happy. In fact, this often causes chronic pain and permanent joint damage.
Believe it or not, losing a significant amount of weight via weight loss surgery can also improve fertility during childbearing years. This is one of the many reasons why people decided to get the procedure in the first place. Even more good news is that the risk of miscarriage may decline after bariatric surgery and the surgery can even improve menstrual cycles in women who don’t ovulate.
There are dozens of reasons why people get weight loss surgery, but the most common are the above mentioned, aside from the fact of wanting to lose weight of course. Weight loss surgery can also help alleviate metabolic syndrome, pregnancy complications, gallbladder disease, and more.
How Does Your Diet Change After Weight Loss Surgery?
Once you’ve undergone one of the weight loss procedures, it’s important to adjust your lifestyle to make sure that you don’t gain any of the weight back. After going through all that trouble, it’s the last thing that you want to do. This means that you have to do a variety of things like eat very slowly and take tiny bites, especially right after the procedure.
This, as well as keeping a healthy diet, is one of the hardest things that people have to deal with following the procedure. Luckily, it does not take long to adjust to this new lifestyle. A doctor will also usually recommend their patient take vitamins and supplements recommended by a nutritionist who counsels patients after the procedure.
Finding the Right Doctor for You
If weight loss surgery is something that you are seriously considering, you must first reach out to a doctor to see if this is a viable option for you. Once a meeting has been set up, they will discuss with you things such as your weight loss goal, whether you have to meet that goal before being able to get that surgery, and how to manage your diet after the surgery.
Oftentimes, doctors will not even allow their patients to get the procedure until they lose weight, so be sure that this is one of the things you discuss with them when you meet in person. When choosing a doctor, you will also want to make sure they are experienced and know what they’re doing. These days, it’s far too common for doctors to simply milk you for your health insurance money and then move on without actually helping you along the way.
Do as much research as you can on each doctor and weight loss clinic you are considering and check to see what their previous clients have to say about them. If their reviews are all positive, it’s a good sign.
Another thing to consider is your budget. Weight loss surgery is not cheap and requires a little bit of money. However, you can look for clinics that are willing to work with you financially and may even be able to set you up with a payment plan so that you can still have your surgery.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, weight loss surgery has dozens of benefits, with weight loss being the obvious reason why people decide to do it. However, there are many other benefits to weight loss surgery including helping with depression and self-esteem, reducing your risk for diabetes, helping with fertility, and more.
If weight loss surgery is something that you are considering, be sure to reach out to a professional today to set up an appointment. There, they will be able to discuss with you your treatment options and tailor the package to your needs. By the time you’re done with the process, you’ll be back to feeling like your old self again.
