Bariatric surgery is a term derived from the Greek words: "weight" and "treatment". Bariatric surgical procedures are major gastrointestinal operations that (a) seal off most of the stomach to reduce the amount of food one can eat, and (b) rearrange the small intestine to reduce the calories the bodies can absorb.There are several different types of bariatric weight loss surgical procedures, but they are known collectively as 'bariatric surgery'.
Bariatric surgery is not an easy option for obesity sufferers. It is a drastic step, and carries the usual pain and risks of any major gastrointestinal surgical operation.
Bariatric surgery compels patients to change their eating habits radically, and makes them very ill if they overeat. And after bariatric surgery is performed, patients remain at a lifelong risk of nutritional deficiencies.Bariatric Surgery Typically Leads to Major Weight Loss
Some patients who undergo bariatric gastrointestinal surgery lose more than 100 pounds in weight - some lose as much as 200 pounds weight. Some reach a normal weight, while others remain overweight, although less overweight than before
Some bariatric surgeons accept patients in their 60's, and some even operate on teenagers. But because bariatric surgery is a last resort solution to weight loss, to be used when other more conventional weight loss programs have been tried and failed, candidates must generally have severe obesity-related health problems.Must be Morbidly Obese for Bariatric Surgery
In general, in order to qualify for bariatric surgery you must be 'morbidly obese', which usually means being overweight by 100 pounds (man) or 80 pounds (woman) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40+.Alternatively, bariatric surgery may be appropriate if you are 80 pounds overweight and have a serious obesity-related condition like type 2 diabetes or life-threatening cardio-pulmonary problems such as severe sleep apnea or obesity-related heart disease.
Some people who are suffering from extremely severe obesity (End Stage obesity syndrome) may have to be hospitalized before undergoing bariatric surgery in order to lower the risks of surgery.
The higher the motivation of patients to lose weight, and manage the post-operative requirements of dietary modification and behavioral therapy, the more successful Bariatric surgery is likely to be, in solving their obesity and weight problems. This may influence the selection of candidates for bariatric surgery.Cost of Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric gastrointestinal surgical operations cost about $25,000 or more, although insurers are slowly beginning to accept that this kind of weight loss surgery can deliver powerful medical benefits that will save them money in the long run, especially where convention weight loss remedies have consistently failed to reduce obesity.
Do not believe everything you read about bariatric surgery. Talk with patients who have undergone this form of weight loss surgery. Find out about bariatric surgery yourself. Find out about the risks and what's involved.
The incidence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions world-wide and is as much a public health concern as any other disease which plagues humanity. Obesity induces the onset of other devastating diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, leads to social costs such as reduced capacity for work and increased economic burdens on health service systems and, ultimately, leads to a shorter lifespan.
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat 20 percent or more above your ideal body weight where excess weight becomes a health risk. Many factors contribute to the development of obesity including genetic, hereditary, environmental, metabolic and eating disorders. Also, certain medical conditions may result in obesity such as steroid intake and hypothyroidism.
Obesity becomes "morbid" when it significantly increases the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions or serious diseases, also known as co-morbidities . Obesity-related diseases are serious, most are chronic, they often occur in combination and will become life threatening if not treated aggressively. The health risks associated with remaining morbidly obese include:
Morbid obesity is typically defined as a Body Mass Index >35 to 40 and is a chronic disease in that the symptoms and the development of obesity-related diseases accumulate slowly. Studies have demonstrated that once the problem is established, efforts such as dieting and exercise are limited in their ability to produce significant and sustainable weight loss.
For the morbidly obese with a history of failed weight loss efforts, surgery appears to be the only way to accomplish significant change. Weight loss surgery is a life-altering decision -- one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. And the improvement in self-image can be markedly positive. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, "Surgical treatment of clinically severe obesity has a profoundly positive impact on patients' perceptions of their health status". Surgery which facilitates weight loss also brings improvement in every measure of well being. Many studies have shown that testing scores on measures of general mental health, physical activity and health perception overall rose to levels commensurate with national norms while measures of social functioning and increased vitality actually exceeded those of "normal" individuals.
