Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery – Is It For Me?
7/31/2019
By Karina McArthur, M.D., MountainView Regional Medical Center
Obesity in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions, and is now considered the number one cause of diabetes and heart disease in the nation. For many people, traditional methods like calorie restriction and exercise have failed to produce initial or sustained weight loss results. If you have failed to lose weight through other methods and are considering a more aggressive approach to deal with the issue, you are not alone. Nearly 200,000 people underwent weight loss surgery in the U.S. in 2015, an increase of more than 25% over 2011 figures.
Current estimates are that 1 in every 3 Americans have obesity, and 6 percent are “extremely obese,” with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40. A recent study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that those living with obesity are likely to die an average of 14 years earlier than if they lived at a healthy weight.
“Obesity affects every aspect of a patient’s life” said Dr Karina McArthur. “Not only does it affect longevity and quality of life, it often has a large econmic impact as well, preventing the patient from applying to certain jobs. Some of our patients are even diasabled as a result of obesity.”
Is 2019 the time for a change for you or a loved one? There are a variety of procedure options in weight loss surgery and many can be done through small incisions for minimal scarring and faster recovery. Here are some important facts if you’re considering a surgical solution:
Gastric bypass is considered the gold standard of weight loss surgeries, and is the most commonly performed of the procedures worldwide. The procedure creates a new stomach pouch that is considerably smaller than before, facilitating smaller meal portions and resulting in fewer calories consumed daily. Advantages of Gastric Bypass include its ability to promote significant long-term weight loss (up to 60 to 80 percent), and its ability to physically restrict the amount of food that can be consumed. It also induces beneficial changes in gut hormones that reduce appetite, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and may lead to feelings of increased energy. Typical patients maintain weight loss of greater than 50% after gastric bypass.
Sleeve Gastrectomy – often referred to as ‘the sleeve’ – is a procedure performed by removing approximately 80 percent of the stomach. The remaining stomach is a tubular pouch that resembles a banana. Similar to band and gastric bypass procedures, the size of the new stomach pouch reduces the amount of food that can be consumed. But research suggests that the greater impact may be the effect the surgery has on gut hormones and blood sugar control. Advantages of the sleeve include a more rapid and significant weight loss, similar to results of the gastric bypass. Typical patients experience and maintain a loss of excess body weight at 50% or greater. It also requires a relatively short hospital stay (approximately 2 days), no foreign objects, and no re-routing of the food stream. It’s estimated that half of the weight loss surgeries conducted in 2015 were sleeves, as this procedure has steadily grown in popularity in recent years.
“In our practice, surgery is one of the tools that we have to improve our patient’s health” said Dr McArthur. “We make sure that our patients who choose surgery are optimally prepared in order to maximize their success. Our biggest success stories are patients who committed to a lifestyle change.”
Changes to the body after weight loss surgery are mostly positive, and are an important benefit of the surgical weight loss route. But some of the physiological changes can lead to long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Patients must commit to a lifelong plan of healthy food choices and vitamin and mineral supplementation. And while there is risk associated with any surgical procedure, the 30- day mortality rate for bariatric surgeries is actually only 1 in every 1000 patients, much lower than the number of deaths caused by obesity itself.
If you are considering a surgical solution for your weight loss goals, our MountainView Wellness and Weight Loss Clinic offers many resources to help you understand your options, and throughout your entire journey. For further information contact us at (575) 521-8860 or at www.MountainViewWeightLoss.com. Here’s to the achieving the healthiest you in 2019!
About the Author: Dr. McArthur is a board-certified, fellowship trained bariatric surgeon who is passionate about working with patients to meet their weight loss goals currently employed with the MountainView Medical Group. She believes in creating a program specific to each patient, and will spend the time to make sure you understand all of your options, and will help you pick the path that will best fit your lifestyle. Dr. McArthur received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY, completed her internship at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX and completed her residency at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. She is also fellowship trained, completing a prestigious fellowship program in bariatric surgery and minimally invasive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA.
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