Weight Loss Surgery - Is It for Me?

12/11/2016

Weighing your options in the New Year

Punta Gorda, FL (December 12, 2016) – Obesity in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions, and is now considered the number one cause of diabetes and heart disease in the nation. For many people, traditional methods like calorie restriction and exercise have failed to produce initial or sustained weight loss results. If you have failed to lose weight through other methods and are considering a more aggressive approach to deal with the issue, you are not alone. Nearly 200,000 people underwent weight loss surgery in the U.S. in 2015, an increase of more than 25% over 2011 figures.

Current estimates are that more than 1 in every 3 adults are considered to be obese, and 6 percent are “extremely obese,” with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40. A recent study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that those living with obesity are likely to die an average of 14 years earlier than if they lived at a healthy weight.

 “While the most obvious frustrations around obesity are often cosmetic, the real impact of excess body weight is on the patient’s health and longevity,” said Dr. Geoffrey Roelant, board-certified general surgeon.  “The majority of people living with obesity also deal with associated pain, diabetes, high blood pressure or depression, and experience a significant impact on their energy levels and quality of life.”

Is 2017 the time for a change for you or a loved one? There are a variety of procedure options in weight loss surgery and many can be done through small incisions for minimal scarring and faster recovery. Here are some important facts if you’re considering a surgical solution:

Sleeve Gastrectomy – often referred to as ‘the sleeve’ – is a procedure performed by removing approximately 80 percent of the stomach. The remaining stomach is a tubular pouch that resembles a banana. Similar to band and gastric bypass procedures, the size of the new stomach pouch reduces the amount of food that can be consumed. But research suggests that the greater impact may be the effect the surgery has on gut hormones and blood sugar control. Advantages of the sleeve include a more rapid and significant weight loss, similar to results of the gastric bypass. Typical patients experience and maintain a loss of excess body weight at 50% or greater. It also requires a relatively short hospital stay (approximately 2 days), no foreign objects, and no re-routing of the food stream. It’s estimated that half of the weight loss surgeries conducted in 2015 were sleeves, as this procedure has steadily grown in popularity in recent years.

Gastric Bypass is the most commonly performed of the procedures worldwide. The procedure creates a new stomach pouch that is considerably smaller than before, facilitating smaller meal portions and resulting in fewer calories consumed daily. Advantages of Gastric Bypass include its ability to promote significant long-term weight loss (up to 60 to 80 percent), and its ability to physically restrict the amount of food that can be consumed. It also induces beneficial changes in gut hormones that reduce appetite, reduce the risk of type II diabetes, and may lead to feelings of increased energy. Typical patients maintain weight loss of greater than 50% after gastric bypass.

“As with any health issue, surgery should be considered only after other, less invasive methods have failed,” said Roelant. “The patient’s compliance with pre-surgical education and post-surgical nutrition and follow-up guidelines are the key indicator for initial weight loss success and long-term maintenance. This is a health condition that is very much within the patient’s control.”

Changes to the body after weight loss surgery are mostly positive, and are an important benefit of the surgical weight loss route. But some of the physiological changes can lead to long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Patients must commit to a lifelong plan of healthy food choices and vitamin and mineral supplementation. And while there is risk associated with any surgical procedure, the 30-day mortality rate for bariatric surgeries is actually only 1 in every 1000 patients, much lower than the number of deaths caused by obesity itself.

If you are considering a surgical solution for your weight loss goals, Dr. Geoffrey Roelant and the team at Bayfront Health offer many resources to help you understand your options, and throughout your entire journey. To learn more, visit http://bit.ly/WhatHaveYouGotToLose or call 941-766-4564 to schedule your own free, private consultation with Bayfront Health’s Care Coordinator.

Here’s to the achieving the healthiest you in 2017!

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