Faqs

Bariatric Surgery FAQs

1. Is weight loss surgery for you?

According to international accepted criteria, the indications for obesity surgery are BMI > 40 kg/m2 or BMI>35 with pronounced co-morbidities. It is also requires several failed non-surgical attempts at weight reduction under the guidance of a physician over a period of one year and the absence of surgical contraindication or concomitant disease. Nevertheless, limits to the indication for surgery continue to be changing. For example, diabetes specialists suggest that a BMI of 32 kg/m2 in patients with type 2 diabetes as an indication for surgery.

2.Obesity & Metabolic surgery: Myth or Magic

Anti-obesity surgery works through simple principles that affect Ingestion [Restriction], Assimilation & Storage [Malabsorption], and Desire to ingest [Satiation and Aversion]. Currently the widely performed surgical procedures are Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass and Mini Gastric bypass. They help in resolution of upto 90% of excess weight and almost similar resolution of co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, sleep apnoea, infertility, etc making it the guaranteed and most successful modality so far for morbid obesity.

3.Diabesity: Is surgery a cure?

Diabetes being a medical disease, it was traditionally treated by diet and exercise with mild oral medicines. The disease keeps on progressing in most people with on-going complications on many organs in the body. It is associated with high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, obesity and polycystic ovary disease causing the Metabolic Syndrome and also kidney failures, heart attacks, eye problems including blindness, nerve diseases etc. Diabetic surgery is surgery for cure of diabetes associated with or without obesity. These type of surgeries are performed for people with uncontrolled levels of blood parameters even after the maximum dose of drugs has been given and when the disease has become life threatening.

4.Recent advanced in Bariatric & Metabolic surgery

Surgical weight loss is exclusively performed by laparoscopy or key hole surgery in which operations are performed through 4 – 5 small (usually 0.5 – 1.2 cm) incisions. Specialized equipment and instrumentations are necessary for this technique makes it a little more expensive than laparoscopy for other diseases. Latest additions in the field of laparoscopy include Single Incision Laparoscopic surgery, Robotic surgery & Endoluminal surgeries all of which are aimed at increasing the safety of the procedures as well as making it less invasive than conventional laparoscopic procedures.