Stomach Pouch – Weight Loss Diet Solutions

Surgical Weight Loss: Options, Benefits and Risks

While regular exercise and a healthy diet is recognized as the ideal way to maintain a normal weight, there are some individuals for whom weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery is the only option remaining. People who are morbidly obese and have tried and failed to lose weight using conventional methods are turning to surgical weight loss as a solution. Bariatric surgery is recommended only for people with severe obesity; that is, with a body mass index above 40. Weight loss surgery is also offered to people with BMI between 35 and 40 if they also suffer from obesity-related health problems such as diabetes or sleep apnea.

Surgical Weight Loss Options

When diet, exercise or weight loss medications are not enough to reach and maintain a healthy weight, people who suffer from severe obesity can resort to a number of surgical options for weight loss:

* Gastric Bypass. A gastric bypass allows you to lose weight in two ways: first, by limiting the amount of food ingested and second, by reducing the amount of nutrients you absorb from your food. This is done by creating a smaller stomach pouch which is attached to the lower part of the small intestine. The smaller stomach holds less food so you feel full sooner. Also, fewer calories are absorbed because the food bypasses a portion of the stomach and small intestine.

* Lap Banding. This surgical weight loss procedure uses an adjustable band inserted in the stomach to give a feeling of fullness and limit the amount of food consumed. The lap band can be tailor-made for the patient. It is also adjustable after surgery so that you can eat more or less food as needed.

* Gastric sleeve. This type of stomach reduction surgery is one of the newer options for surgical weight loss. It makes the stomach smaller by removing up to 85% of the stomach, leaving only a narrow, banana-shaped tube. With a smaller stomach, you will feel full even with less food. This weight loss surgical procedure is safer compared to gastric bypass because it does not rearrange the digestive anatomy. It may also be safer than lap banding since no foreign objects are introduced into the digestive system.

Benefits

* Quick and effective weight loss. Most patients start to lose weight immediately following surgery. In general, patients lose weight rapidly within 6 months to one year. Weight loss often continues until two years after the surgical procedure., and few patients regain it.

* Improved health conditions. A number of studies found that weight loss surgery can return blood sugar levels to normal in patients with type 2 diabetes. There is also an improvement in obesity-related health conditions such as sleep apnea and high blood pressure.

* Psychosocial adjustment. As patients reach a more normal weight, their self-esteem and self-image also improve and they are better able to function in society.

Risks

* Side effects. Patients may experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, and dizziness.

* Nutritional deficiencies. Surgical weight loss may be accompanied by nutritional deficiencies including anemia and osteoporosis.

* Complications. After weight loss surgery, some patients may suffer from complications such as abdominal hernias, infections, gallstones, or breakdown of the staple line used to make the stomach smaller.

* Lifestyle changes. Bariatric surgery often requires permanent lifestyle changes for significant and lasting weight loss.

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Lets start this post on what is lapband surgery by just letting me say that I hate the idea of surgery to fix overweight problems unless all diet and exercise options have been exhausted.

This is my second article on Lapband surgery as I wrote another lap band surgery article last year that talked about it as well

Looking at other diet and exercise options is critical as our bodies will always seem to find a way around the invasive ways that we try to change things. People overeat after gastric bypass as we have seen lots of times on The Biggest Loser, hormone production decreases when we take steroids or HGH. But lapband surgery is becoming more popular and in a recent trip to LA I saw a lot of billboards so here is the FDA info on it.

Lapband surgery

Lapband Surgery Basics

What is it? The Lapband surgery is a surgically implanted device that helps adults, who are at least 18 years old, eat less and lose weight. The Lap Band surgery consists of a silicone band, tubing, and an access port. The inner surface of the silicone band is inflatable and is connected by the tubing to the access port.

How does it work? The band is placed around the upper part of the stomach during a surgical procedure. The band is connected to an access port that is placed close to the skin. Later, the surgeon can adjust the band (adding or removing fluid) by piercing the access port through the skin with a needle. The band creates a small stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. The narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how fast food passes from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. Inflating the band (adding saline) makes the opening smaller, causing food to pass slower. Deflating the band (removing saline) makes the opening larger, permitting food to pass faster. The band limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increases the time it takes for food to be digested, helping people to eat less.

When is it used? The Lapband surgery is used for weight loss in obese adults who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30-40, with one or more obesity-related medical conditions (such as Type II diabetes and hypertension), and when non-surgical weight loss methods (such as supervised diet, exercise, and behavior modification) have not been successful. Patients must be willing to make major changes in their eating habits and lifestyle.

What will it accomplish? The Lapband surgery will help patients lose weight and maintain the weight loss, and it may help improve their health. In a U.S. study of patients with a BMI between 30-40, 80% of patients lost at least 30% of their excess weight and kept it off for one year. There were some patients who lost no weight and others who lost over 80% of their excess weight. The quality of life for patients enrolled in the study improved significantly.

When should it not be used? It should not be used for someone who is a poor candidate for surgery, has certain stomach or intestinal disorders, has to take aspirin frequently, or is addicted to alcohol or drugs. It should not be used if someone is not able or willing to follow dietary and other recommendations.

Is Lapband Surgery Safe?

A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Surgery found up to 76 percent of Lap-Band patients developed complications over three years. In some cases, excessive vomiting caused stomach acid to erode the band. Last year, Allergan, the largest U.S. manufacturer of gastric bands recalled 152,000 defective bands.

Whether you are at a point where lapband is an option or not is up to you and a doctor. Let me caution you again though that it is important to look at any lapband surgery or gastric bypass as just an option after you have exhausted any diet and exercise options.