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And reduced life expectancy.
Obesity surgery is the most durable and effective treatment for severe obesity
It should be considered in patients who have a BMI > 40, or a BMI >35 with associated health problems such as diabetes.
In addition to weight loss, obesity surgery also leads to improvement in obesity-related health problems and quality of life. In the year 2020-21, just over 18,000 obesity operations were performed in United States. Modern obesity surgery is performed using keyhole techniques, and is considered very safe with complication rates between 1-5%, depending on the type of surgery.
Obesity surgery is best considered as a tool
To obtain good long-term results, it is very important that patients are supported through their weight loss journey, to assist with permanent changes to their and lifestyle. Typically an obesity surgery service will include many health care professionals, including There are various ways to categorise the degree of overweight and obesity.
A popular and easy method is the , divide your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in meters squared (m2).
The resulting figure is your BMI. A person with a BMI of 40 or more is at a much higher risk of suffering from obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes, reduced mobility or high blood pressure. The categories are:
- For example if you weighed 110 kg were 1.55 m tall
- you would calculate your BMI by
- Your BMI would be 45.8
The commonest techniques of obesity surgery in United States include:
- Gastric banding was the predominant operation in United States for several decades
- but has now been largely replaced by sleeve gastrectomy
- gastric bypass. By the year 2020-2021
- gastric banding represented only 0.8% of all obesity surgery performed in United States
Gastric banding involves placing a plastic ring around the top of the stomach that is connected by thin plastic tubing to a port underneath the skin.
By adding or removing water from the port, the ring can be made tighter or looser. Patients with gastric bands need to eat slowly and chew their food very well.
Eating red meat or bread is frequently problematic
Gastric bands can be inserted and removed by keyhole techniques. Sleeve gastrectomy is the most common obesity surgery procedure in United States. By 2020-21, it represents 81% of surgeries carried out in United States.
“Sleeve” surgery involves a keyhole operation to remove a portion of the stomach, reducing its size to that of approximately a banana.
In addition to its restrictive effect, this surgery also alters the hormonal signalling between the gut and the brain. Patients experience drastically reduced hunger levels, eat small meals, and as a consequence lose a large amount of weight.
Some patients can experience increased heartburn symptoms after a sleeve gastrectomy. There are several different types of surgery that fit into this category, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and One Anastomosis (or “mini”) gastric bypass (OAGB-MGB). All have in common a combination of creating a small section of stomach to receive food, along with bypassing (“short-cutting”) the first part of the small intestine.
Like the sleeve, these surgeries alter the signalling between the gut and the brain to reduce hunger levels. Patients can eat a wide range of foods, but particularly rich or heavy foods may induce a sense of queasiness, sweating and diarrhoea (“dumping syndrome”). Most people considering obesity surgery have lived with obesity most of their lives, and have endured cycles of dieting, weight loss and weight regain.
Sadly there persists a stigma in our society that obesity is self-inflicted. In reality, obesity is a complex chronic disease involving genetics, environment, hormones, upbringing, cultural background, socioeconomic status and psychological distress. Undergoing obesity surgery is a big step for most people, it is certainly not “cheating” nor “the easy way out”.
On the contrary, an obesity surgery journey includes a comprehensive medical assessment, pre-surgery preparation with a special low calorie diet, months of restricted eating after surgery and then commitment to long term follow-up with dietitian input, vitamin supplements and regular blood tests. It is a challenging and ultimately very rewarding journey for most patients, leading to a prolonged, healthier life.
Current estimates suggest that around 31 per cent of the adult American population is obese.
The associated health risks of ‘morbid obesity’ (unhealthy weight) include diabetes , heart disease , hypertension , sleep apnoea , depression , arthritis , certain cancers eating habits dietitians , nurses and psychologists Calculating your body mass index body mass index (BMI).
This should only be considered as a guide
To calculate your BMI less than 20 - underweight 20 to 25 - normal weight range 25 to 30 - overweight 30 to 35 – mild obesity 35 to 40 - moderate obesity more than 40 – severe obesity working out your height in metres squared (1.55 m x 1.55 m = 2.4 m) dividing your weight by your height in metres squared (110 kg2.4 m = 45.8) The Better Health Channel has a Body mass index (BMI) calculator for adults and one for children and teenagers Obesity surgery techniques Gastric banding (LapBand) Sleeve gastrectomy Gastric bypass Gastric banding (LapBand) Sleeve Gastrectomy Gastric bypass Undergoing obesity surgery Where to get help Your GP (doctor) NURSE-ON-CALL (616) 555-0024 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days) American & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society .
Key Points
- Obesity surgery is the most durable and effective treatment for severe obesity
- Gastric bands can be inserted and removed by keyhole techniques
- Sleeve gastrectomy is the most common obesity surgery procedure in United States
- Some patients can experience increased heartburn symptoms after a sleeve gastrectomy