Smart health facts: Weight loss surgery
Serious weight concerns may lead you to talk to your doctor about having weight loss (bariatric) surgery and whether it is right for you. If you decide on surgery, you will still need to follow strict diet and exercise plans afterward. If you don't, you could have complications. Discuss the possible types of weight loss surgery with your doctor and ask what is involved before and after these procedures:
- Gastric bypass - The doctor will create a pouch in your upper stomach of about the size of a walnut, using staples. A bypass then connects part of your small intestine to your pouch.
- Gastric banding - The surgeon places a band around the upper part of your stomach to create a small pouch to hold food. The band makes you feel full after eating small amounts of food. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the band to make food pass more slowly or quickly through your digestive system. The final weight loss with gastric banding is not as large as with gastric bypass.
Why you might need weight loss surgery
- You are morbidly obese
- Severe weight causes joint problems and limits walking
- Excess weight is causing sleep problems
- You have severe diabetes or high blood pressure and are in danger of stroke or heart attack
Understand the risks of weight loss surgery
- Possible damage to your stomach, intestines or other organs
- Blood clots, lung problems
- Infections, including the kidney, bladder or pneumonia
- Narrowing of the opening between your stomach pouch and small intestine
- Gallstones and gallbladder attacks
- Leaking through the staples
- Breakdown of the pouch
Ask your doctor about other options
- Lifestyle changes - for example, eating fewer calories, regular exercise
- Medicines that help some people when lifestyle changes are not enough (check your plan to see what's covered)
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