A number of different types of bariatric surgeries are carried out in medical weight loss centers. Having surgery for weight loss is the quickest way to lose weight and can be a lifesaver in some cases where the excess fat is hurtful to people. These surgeries also have some upsides and downsides which are discussed below.

Gastric Bypass Surgery (Route-en-Y Gastric Bypass)

This surgery involves the splitting of the stomach into two parts. The upper part is small, and the doctors of weight loss connect it to the small intestine while the other part of the stomach is left for creating digestive juices. This helps in having a smaller stomach which results in feeling full after short appetites.

Pros and cons to weight loss surgeries

Pros

  1. A quick and effective result is seen
  2. 50 – 60% of weight can be lost in a duration of as short as 6 months
  3. Recovery is faster just like the weight loss
  4. Reduces the consumption of food
  5. It may lead to a fast calorie burning process and more energy expenditure
  6. This enhances satiety and reduces the appetite due to the changes that occur in the hormones
  7. Weight-related diseases like high blood pressure, insomnia and diabetes can be cured.

Cons

  1. Although, the goal is to have fewer calories for the body to absorb this includes the vital nutrients like iron and protein. You may have to rely on supplements to compensate for these missing nutrients.
  2. The complication results are slightly greater than LSG or AGB operations
  3. Leads to long term deficiency in the nutrition department including iron, protein, calcium and essential vitamins.
  4. Blood clots and infections are a general risk in this surgery.
  5. Gastric Banding

Gastric banding is another type of surgery done by doctors weight loss. This involves an inflatable band being put on the upper part of the stomach which creates a pouch for food to store in. A narrow channel is left for the food to go in the main stomach which is larger.

Pros

  1. This surgery is very easy and simple
  2. You can easily have the band removed if you want to
  3. Safer than the gastric bypass surgery with a fairly quick recovery
  4. The band can get tighter or loosened up as per your need with an injection to insert or remove the saline
  5. Weight loss is around 40-50%
  6. No major surgery like cutting of stomach or rerouting of intestines.
  7. Usually, the stay at the hospital is less than 24 hours

Cons

  1. The weight loss process is a little slower
  2. The weight affiliated diseases like blood pressure and diabetes can remain with you.
  3. A risk of this surgery is that the band can slip out of place or even worse, leakage in the band which results in excruciating pain which can be fixed with further surgeries
  4. The rate of more surgeries is higher
  5. Vomiting can occur if you eat too much too fast
  6. Sleeve Gastrectomy

Another form of weight loss surgery done in medical weight loss centers. This involves cutting off a large part of the stomach and making it into a sleeve-like tube.

Pros

  1. Significantly low risks
  2. Done for very obese people who may have complications in other surgeries
  3. The result of weight loss is almost similar to the gastric bypass method with around 50% loss and can continue to lose more weight for up to two years.
  4. Since there is no rerouting of the intestines, the vital nutrients are absorbed in the normal fashion.
  5. Hunger is suppressed and reduced appetite is practiced.

Cons

  1. This surgery is fairly new, so the risks are still being worked on and evaluated.
  2. The process is irreversible. Once the part of your stomach is removed, it is gone for good.
  3. Long term vitamin deficiency has been evaluated in the early stages of this surgery
  4. Risk of infection is there as the staples that put the stomach in place can get leaked causing severe pain.
  5. The weight gain isn’t an impossible equation in this scenario. There are several factors including no control over the diet that can have the original shape of the stomach back.

Doctors for weight loss have worked long and hard over the years to provide us with so many different approaches to weight loss in medical weight loss centers, but everything comes with their fair share of cons as much as pros.

Topics #bariatric surgeries #Gastric Bypass Surgery #medical weight loss centers #weight loss #weight loss surgery