Gastric band surgery:
Gastric band surgery, also known as gastroplasty is a well-known bariatric surgery that treats obesity. The procedure aims at reducing the size of the stomach by placing a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. The latter band serves to reduce food intake; that is, the patient feels quickly full and will consume less food quantity. The degree of band constriction depends on how much weight the patient wishes to lose as well as their medical case. Gastric band surgery is also referred to as lap-band surgery, and it is quite similar to another bariatric or obesity surgery known as realize-band surgery. The latter ensures the patient’s safety and comfort as it is designed to achieve gradual results and aims to minimize stretching. The band is placed on the stomach to suppress hunger.
Gastric band surgery is quite beneficial especially for people who suffer from severe obesity and whose body mass index (BMI) is thirty or above. One of the benefits of the surgery includes the prevention of obesity-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or sleep apnea. In addition, gastric banding is a minimally invasive, reversible, and adjustable procedure. It aims at reducing the patient’s weight in a drastic and almost magical manner. The surgery is much appreciated for it offers long-term weight loss results. However, the patient has to be cautious of certain proceedings after gastric banding surgery. In order to maintain gastric banding results, the patient has to adopt a healthy lifestyle by following a dieting regimen and exercising on a regular basis. It is noteworthy that gastric band surgery is among the quickest in recovery and presents minimal complications such as wound infection or hernias.
Gastric sleeve surgery:
For people who suffer from being overweight and wish to appear thinner and lighter, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastroplasty, is the ideal solution for them. Commonly known as gastric sleeve surgery, sleeve gastrectomy is an obesity surgery during which the stomach is drastically reduced. Indeed, sleeve surgery leaves the patient with a smaller gastric sack or a tube-shaped (sleeve) stomach in the size and shape of a banana. With this reduction, the consumption of food amounts becomes limited. With the latter being combined with healthy dieting and regular exercising, sleeve gastrectomy guarantees phenomenal and permanent results of rapid weight loss.
Gastric sleeve surgery is beneficial for it prevents overweight conditions that are potentially life-threatening like heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and infertility. It is only performed if the patient has failed to lose weight through dieting and exercising. Other criteria for undergoing the surgery include having a body mass index (BMI) superior to forty. The procedure is exclusively destined for people suffering from severe obesity. In case the patient does not suffer from obesity, and rather has a regular weight, the doctor might abstain from their surgical duties and recommend psychotherapeutic consultations to help the patient deal with their insecurities. One important criterion of good candidacy is having realistic expectations as well as a good understanding of the procedure and one’s medical case and eligibility.
Bypass:
Bypass or gastric bypass is a metabolic surgery destined for people who suffer from serious weight issues and are incapable of losing weight through exercising and dieting. Bypass surgery is one of the most performed surgeries in the field of obesity and bariatric surgery as it guarantees permanent and successful results. The procedure reduces the stomach volume as the surgeon re-routes or bypasses part of the digestive system. This requires restricting the amount of food as what is consumed will be redirected from the stomach towards the small intestine. Thanks to the latter, the body will not absorb all of the calories in the eaten food and will feel full with lesser food quantities; this, in turn, engenders weight loss.
Two types of gastric bypass techniques are involved when performing the procedure. These are respectively classical bypass and mini bypass; a restrictive procedure through the reduction of the stomach size to a volume of thirty millimetres, and a malabsorptive procedure since food is not fully digested if it follows a shorter intestinal tract.
Gastric balloon:
When dieting and exercising do not lead to quicker and more efficient weight loss, people start seeking other ways; that is when intra-gastric balloon surgery comes in handy. The intra-gastric balloon surgery is a new kind of non-surgical weight-loss procedure. It aims to limit food intake amounts while making people feel full faster. The procedure stimulates changes that help not only with weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but also with relieving conditions related to being overweight, which can be potentially life-threatening, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and infertility. People who can be considered for intra-gastric balloon surgery should have a body mass index (BMI) between thirty and forty.
Despite it being a non-surgical and minimally invasive procedure, intragastric balloon surgery may present several risks and complications. The latter include gastric perforation, oesophageal perforation, and bowel obstruction. Such complications are detected through symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the patient experiences any of the latter symptoms after an a gastric balloon surgery, they are strongly recommended to immediately contact their doctor and schedule an urgent consultation.
What is beneficial about this type of surgery is that it offers permanently stable results in the long run, especially if the patient supports intra-gastric balloon outcomes by adopting a healthy lifestyle through dieting and regular exercising.