Severe obesity is now a common and chronic problem in the United States. According to the latest statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 65 percent of all US citizens are overweight. What’s even more terrifying is that more than 12.5 million children between the ages of 2 and 19 are also victims of this terrible disease, according to the US Surgeon General.
Severe obesity, when it becomes morbid, increases the risk of other medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and sometimes even a reduction in life expectancy. Although there are many diet and exercise plans available on the market, they are rarely effective in treating obesity. Because of this, the trend is heading towards surgical procedures. More and more people are opting for weight loss or bariatric surgery, which helps by restricting the amount of food eaten (restrictive surgery) or interrupting the digestive process (malabsorptive surgery). There are benefits and risks involved in these procedures.
advantages:
1. Effective weight loss
Patients lose weight rapidly immediately after surgery and the process continues slowly up to 18-24 months. Although some patients regain their weight to some degree, few do fully.
2. Improvement in other Medical Conditions
It has been observed that there is a general improvement in other obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure, sugar level, etc. after weight loss surgery.
Sequelae of Bariatric Surgery:
1. Nutritional deficiencies
Patients who undergo weight loss surgery can develop nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, osteoporosis, and metabolic bone diseases. These deficiencies can be avoided if the intake of vitamins and minerals is maintained.
2. Gallstones
More than a third of obese patients who undergo gastric surgery develop gallstones. Gallstones are collections of cholesterol and other matter that form in the gallbladder. During rapid or substantial weight loss, the risk of a person developing gallstones increases. This can sometimes be prevented by taking supplemental bile salts for the first six months after surgery.
3. Nausea and vomiting
Common side effects experienced by all patients include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, dizziness, and excessive sweating.
4. Postpone pregnancy
Women are advised to avoid pregnancy until their weight stabilizes because rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies can harm the developing fetus.
5. Change in lifestyle
Patients with extensive deviations from the normal digestive process require not only close monitoring, but also lifelong dietary and exercise modifications and vitamin and mineral supplementation.
6. Other complications
Some patients who undergo weight loss operations require follow-up operations to correct other complications. It can include abdominal hernias, infections, staple line rupture (used to make the stomach smaller), and stretched stomach outlets (when the stomach returns to its normal size).
Without a doubt, weight loss surgery is a serious undertaking and therefore it is essential to discuss all the pros and cons of it with your doctor before making any decision.