Understanding the different types of Bariatric Surgery

Understanding the different types of Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is a sort of surgical procedure for weight loss aimed at patients suffering from extreme obesity, to whom dieting and exercise regimens are not helpful. This involves a surgical modification of the digestive system structures to assist the patient in overcoming their condition of weight loss. The procedure is changing the lives of some patients besides helping them lose weight since it can cure obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Modern bariatric surgery options are provided by Apollo Hospitals’ Gastroenterology Department. It is tailored to each patient’s specific needs. Having a number of choices and variations may make it easier for one to choose the best form of bariatric surgery that can be used in achieving weight loss and health goals.

Who Is a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

Prior to discussing the many kinds of bariatric surgery, it’s critical to comprehend who is eligible for these treatments. Bariatric surgery is usually prescribed for persons:

• Whose body mass index exceeds 40, which describes severe obesity.
• Have a BMI of 35-39.9 with major obesity-related health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
• Other methods were used to lose weight without having achieved any lasting results.
• They are committed to lifestyle adjustment post-surgery, including dietary changes, exercise, and any other long-term medical follow-up.

Apollo Hospitals ensures that every patient receives individualised treatment from a multidisciplinary team of specialists in the Gastroenterology Department by providing a thorough approach to determining the patient’s eligibility for bariatric surgery.\

Types of Bariatric Surgery

There are many types of bariatric surgery, each with a different mechanism by which weight loss is induced. They can generally be divided into two categories of procedure: restrictive and malabsorptive. Some surgeries are a combination of both. Let’s have a look at the most common types of bariatric surgery:

Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass)

Being the most successful technique in terms of being both a restrictive and a malabsorptive procedure—which would limit your food consumption and diminish nutritional absorption by modifying your gastrointestinal tract—gastric bypass surgery is one of the most popular types of bariatric surgery.

With gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon makes a small pouch at the top of the stomach, thus reducing the size of the stomach. Then there is direct connection to the small intestine while bypassing most of the stomach and part of the intestine. So the patients can consume small amounts only, and that absorbs fewer calories.

Benefits:

• Substantial weight loss over the long term (60–80% of extra weight).
• Reduction or disappearance of health issues associated with obesity.
• Decreased appetite as a result of altered gastrointestinal hormones.

Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve Surgery)

Another very popular bariatric surgery is sleeve gastrectomy, mainly a restrictive procedure. Here, the stomach is made smaller to restrain the consumption of food.

In a sleeve gastrectomy, 75-80% of the stomach is surgically removed and left with a narrow, tube-like sleeve. Because the remaining portion of the stomach will hold less food and because one of the major portions of the stomach producing the hormone that stimulates hunger, ghrelin, is removed, patients tend to feel less hungry.

Benefits:

• With a sleeve gastrectomy, patients can expect sustained weight loss of 50-70% excess weight.
• There is no intestinal rerouting, so it is less complicated than a gastric bypass.
• Quick recovery time and shorter hospital stays.

Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAP-BAND Surgery)

By placing a band around the top part of the stomach, an adjustable gastric banding treatment aims to restrict the amount of food consumed in a single sitting.

In this process, an adjustable silicone band is put around the upper portion of the stomach that blocks food intake by forming a small pouch. It’s made adjustable by the surgeon by blowing air in or out from a port placed under the skin according to the patient’s requirement.

Benefits:

• Reversible and adjustable.
• No cutting or routing of the intestines is necessary.
• Recovery time and stay in the hospital were shorter compared with other surgeries.

Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)

This is a restrictive and malabsorptive procedure that provides one of the most effective options for long-term weight loss but with more risks attached.

BPD/DS is a two-stage surgery. The first part comes in the form of a sleeve gastrectomy wherein part of the stomach is removed thereby reducing food intake. The second part involves bypassing a large portion of the small intestine, thus highly reducing absorption of calories and nutrients.

Benefits:

• With significant and continuous reduction in body weight, patients often manage to lose up to 90% of excess weight.
• It has a high success rate in combating obesity-related health problems like diabetes.
• Patients can take more food than they could while in other operations.

Risks and Complications of Bariatric Surgery

Although bariatric surgery has many benefits regarding weight loss and overall well being, there are several risks associated with this surgery. This might include differences between various procedures, patient health conditions, and following prescriptions after surgery.

• Infection: As with every other surgical intervention, there will always be a risk of infection around the incision sites or internally.
• Nutritional Deficiencies: The lousy absorption of essential nutrients due to the surgery presents a risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For this reason, the patient will require lifetime supplements.
• Blood Clots: After the surgery, patients risk contracting blood clots, especially in the legs or deep vein thrombosis.
• Dumping Syndrome: This rapid emptying of the stomach into the small intestine can result in diarrhoea, vomiting, and nausea.
• Bowel Obstruction: The obstructed intestines can result from scar tissue or narrowing of the intestines.

Postoperative Care After Weight Loss Surgery

Proper postoperative care always leads to a successful recovery along with long-term results in the case of weight loss surgery. Here are some of the important guidelines on the same.

• Start off with a liquid diet, soft foods, and finally progress to solid foods as your doctor will tell you.
• Drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration, but do not drink during meals.
• Ensure you fully replenish your body with vitamins and minerals to avoid shortages, which can occur as a result of malabsorption.
• Schedule subsequent appointments to check your progress, whether in the loss of weight or the levels of intake.
• It is also important to follow the advice from the doctor on when to return to physical activities.
• Recognize any symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or sharp pain and bring them to your healthcare provider’s attention.

Conclusion

Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective way to lose weight as well as to address obesity-related health conditions. However, an understanding of the types of procedures carried out and their benefits, risks, and long-term commitments will have to be made before making such a decision. Apollo Hospitals offers personalised bariatric surgery options to cater to the specific needs of each patient with the aid of state-of-the-art technology and an extremely experienced team in the Gastroenterology Department.Whether it’s a gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding, or BPD/DS, Apollo Hospitals satisfies all requirements, starting with pre-surgery assessment and continuing through post-operative recuperation. Apollo Hospitals offers bariatric surgery, which may be a life-saving treatment for those suffering from extreme obesity who want to improve their quality of life and health.