Surprising Facts About Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery has become increasingly popular in recent decades. It is a life-changing procedure for many. Despite its increased popularity, there is still a lot of incorrect information surrounding weight loss surgery. We are highlighting some key pieces of information that are important to know if you are considering weight loss surgery.

1. The risks of weight loss surgery are much lower than obesity itself.

Bariatric surgery, like any surgery, can come with risks. However, the risks associated with obesity are much more significant than the risks that come with bariatric surgery. In fact, studies have shown weight loss surgery can lower a person’s risk of death from any cause by over 40 percent. In addition, bariatric surgery considerably improves the quality of life in most patients. It is important to note that the risk of serious complications as a result of weight loss surgery is very low.

2. Obesity is a complex metabolic disease.

Those who opt to get bariatric surgery after becoming obese aren’t just battling a weight problem. Your metabolism can slow down so significantly after becoming obese, that you may remain severely obese even by restricting calories.

Weight loss surgery is not for people who aren’t motivated. Did you know that the average patient who has bariatric surgery has tried an average of 22 different diets and exercise programs? Weight loss surgery provides a reset by restricting intake and calorie absorption.

3. Weight loss surgery retains an approximately 85% success rate five years after surgery.

Weight loss surgery is successful long-term for most patients. Success is measured by how much weight is lost initially and maintained over time. Patients will have to adjust to a new lifestyle and learn how to eat differently with their new tool, but in most cases, patients adjust well and are successful.

4. Weight loss surgery is unlikely to leave a large scar.

At Nashville Weight Loss Solutions, surgery is performed using a laparoscopic approach with small incisions. Scars from weight loss surgery are generally very small. In most cases, 3-5 incisions are made that are ½ to 1-inch long. These incisions will likely fade over time.

5. Robotic-assisted surgery has become very popular.

At Nashville Weight Loss Solutions, our surgeries are robotic-assisted. We use DaVinci technology. With DaVinci, your surgeon sits at a console next to you and operates using tiny instruments through a few small incisions. A camera provides a high-definition, 3D magnified view inside your body. Every hand movement your surgeon makes is translated by the da Vinci System in real-time to bend and rotate the instruments with precision. In many cases, robotic-assisted surgeries are less painful for patients than traditional laparoscopic surgeries.

6. Weight Loss Surgery doesn’t require a significant recovery period.

Some patients may go home the same day following surgery while others may stay in the hospital for only 1 night. Most patients can return to work in 1 week. Of course, every patient is different. It’s important to communicate with your surgeon and develop a plan to return to normal activities. Your surgeon will provide you with postoperative instructions that are very important to follow. Those who follow proper postoperative care will generally recover quicker and more easily than those who do not.

7. There are three main types of weight loss surgery.

There are 3 main types of weight loss surgery. These include gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass surgery, and the duodenal switch procedure. The Gastric Sleeve procedure, also known as sleeve gastrectomy or vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), reduces weight primarily through restriction by creating a smaller stomach. This limits the volume of food intake, which creates a sense of satiety (fullness) with very small meals. The gastric bypass procedure accomplishes weight loss in a similar fashion, however, the intestines have to be re-routed to get the stomach smaller. As a result, there is modest malabsorption of certain nutrients as well. The Duodenal Switch (DS) procedure, also called biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS), promotes weight loss by combining restriction (reduction of the stomach volume) and fat malabsorption (reducing the number of fat calories absorbed by the body via intestinal bypass).

Conclusion

If you are struggling to lose weight and you have a BMI above 35 with or without serious health problems as a result of obesity, you may be an excellent candidate for weight loss surgery. If you feel that weight loss surgery is not for you, but you still want to lose weight and improve your health, we offer other non-surgical options including the gastric balloon, Ideal Protein (meal replacement program), Plenity (satiety pills) and weight loss medications such as Contrave, Phentermine, Saxenda, Wegovy, and more.

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If you aren’t sure where to start, we are here to help! Our team can help guide you to figure out what personalized treatment will work best for you. Contact us to schedule a consultation today!