Weight Loss Surgery is a life-changing procedure for people who have been struggling with obesity for years. If you want to lose more than 20 kg, bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery is the only and best solution for long-term and sustained weight loss.
It’s important to note that there are several types of weight loss surgeries and each has its indication and certain types of benefits. It is vital to do your research before deciding which bariatric or weight loss procedure is right for you. Below we will discuss some of the most popular types of weight loss surgery so you know what options are out there and how they might be able to help you live a healthier, happier life.
The advantages of bariatric surgeries are immense as they address not only obesity but also many other co-morbidities. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, and respiratory ailments like obstructive sleep apnoea and asthma.
Different Types Of Bariatric Surgery:
There are at least 5-6 types of bariatric or weight loss procedures. Your treating surgeon should be well-versed in all the weight loss procedures so that he can choose the right procedure for you and offer you a tailored weight loss program that addresses all your needs. Each procedure has its indications and limitations. A proper and detailed assessment of the patient is also essential to choosing the most suitable procedure.
Some of the common bariatric or weight-loss surgeries include:
- Sleeve gastrectomy is a relatively newer type of Weight Loss surgery that has been growing in popularity. It is an excellent option for someone who has been struggling with their weight. This surgery involves removing a large portion of the stomach. As a result, it restricts how much food we can eat at a time. It also helps to manage hunger or cravings for food by bringing some hormonal changes.
- Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery is one of the most common procedures. This surgery involves creating a small stomach pouch and rerouting the small intestine. This procedure limits food consumption. At the same time rerouting of intestines prevents the absorption of fats resulting in better weight loss.
- Mini Gastric Bypass is one of the most popular types of Weight Loss Surgery. This surgery is almost similar to Roux en Y gastric bypass but involves less restriction of food intake. This procedure is associated with better weight loss and better control of diabetes.
- Duodenal Jejunal Bypass is the latest procedure that helps those who struggle with extreme obesity. This surgery is quite similar to Mini Gastric Bypass but allows the preservation of valves present in the stomach. This helps in better control of the passage of food. This surgery also helps us limit our food consumption and reduce the calories of food we intake.
How Does Bariatric Surgery Work?
It works on four patterns:
Restriction of Food Intake:
In this type of surgery, the size of the stomach is reduced to 25% of its original size with the help of surgical staplers. Due to the reduced size of the stomach, the patient is able to eat much less food at a particular time. Sleeve gastrectomy is an example of such a procedure.
Decreased Absorption of Fats:
In this type of surgery, the intestine is rerouted so that absorption of fat from the intestinal is quite limited. As a result, even if the patient consumes some amount of fats, absorption of fats does not take place. Such procedures are associated with better weight loss and a more stable weight loss.
Purely malabsorptive weight loss surgeries have run into dispute because of their side effects.
A Combination of Both Components:
There are both restrictive and malabsorptive in these types of surgeries. These are the most popular types of surgeries. and are bound to yield excellent results. Roux en y Gastric bypass is an example of such a procedure.
These weight loss surgeries are considered to be the best for the majority of patients. However, they too have their own indications and may be contraindicated in a few subsets of patients.
Hormonal Changes:
Bariatric surgery brings a lot of hormonal changes to the body. It includes suppressing appetite, loss of cravings for sweet things, decreasing insulin resistance, and thus curing diabetes. These hormonal changes bring a lot of positive effects.
This stage is where bariatric surgery benefits you when compared to dieting. As a result of hormonal changes, there is suppression of appetite, making your weight loss journey much easier. The other benefit is that cravings for sweets completely goes away, which is one of the main reasons for weight gain. Hormonal changes also help cure diabetes, and it has been seen that bariatric surgery cures diabetes in about 80% to 90% of patients.
Which Bariatric Surgery is Best for me?
There is no definite answer to this multi-dollar question. Each procedure has got its indication, own benefits, and limitations.
Your surgeon needs to do a complete and thorough assessment before embarking upon a particular procedure.
Some of the factors which play a crucial role in deciding a particular procedure:
- Your age
- If you’re a female and want to have children in future
- Your dietary patterns and lifestyle
- Your weight loss goals
- Associated medical illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, etc.
- The reason behind weight gain like genetics, poor eating habits, any medical illness, etc.
- You’re overall fitness to undergo surgery.
Importance of Choosing Right Bariatric Surgeon:
The right procedure, when chosen, not only provides excellent results but gives you physical, mental, and emotional satisfaction. An excellent surgeon can make a lot of difference in both long-term and short-term results. Some of the qualities of an outstanding surgeon are:
Ability to perform all types of weight loss surgeries:
A surgeon who can perform all types of weight loss or bariatric surgeries can only advise you on the right procedure. A surgeon who can’t perform a particular procedure will never give that option to a patient, even if it is the best suitable procedure.
Highly experienced with a proven track of excellent results:
Weight Loss surgery requires a lot of expertise and is not a simple surgery. The surgeon’s experience and expertise will bring down the rate of complications and morbidities associated with the procedure.
Proper counseling of the patient:
Proper counseling of the patient can bring a lot of difference in the patient’s post-operative recovery. Many surgeons do not spend time with patients to understand the real facts associated with surgery. As a result, patients do not have a true picture of post-bariatric surgery life. They are not mentally prepared and sometimes feel cheated and helpless after the surgery.
Provide Excellent Post Operative Care:
Conducting surgery is just the beginning of the weight loss journey. The patient sometimes goes through a lot of emotional turmoil. He experiences various issues from time to time like weight stagnation, body image change, not doing exercise regularly, loss of motivation. Here starts the surgeon’s role who keeps counseling the patients from time to time, keeps them motivated, and holds his hand through the weight loss journey.
Why Choose Us:
We offer the patient an entire plan of care, which includes psychological, nutritional, physical evaluations. In addition to counseling, we offer support groups along with long-term coordination of treatment.
Dr. Kapil Agrawal, one of the best bariatric surgeon in Delhi , is internationally trained and has a vast experience of 20 years. He had the opportunity to train and work in some of the finest and state-of-the-art hospitals in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
Along with his team, he is performing a complete array of weight loss procedures—an unbiased opinion and managing patients strictly according to international guidelines for a part of his curriculum.
Along with his team of dedicated nutritionists and physicians, he leaves no stone unturned in providing excellent post-operative care. Their team of nutritionists are running a successful medical or non surgical weight loss program for patients who aim for a weight loss of 8-10 kgs in the long term.
