Weight loss can be achieved by several options. Such as starting an exercise and dieting program approved by your doctor, diet pills, and weight loss surgeries.  While an exercise and diet program can achieve results for those that are just a few pounds overweight, they don’t always work for people who are a 100, 200 or 300 pounds overweight.  For those that are extremely obese or over weight, the only alternative to achieve good health both mentally and physically is weight loss surgery.  

There are several things to consider prior to making this life changing decision and you should discuss this with your primary care physician before undergoing any weight loss surgery. One thing to consider is, have you tried everything possible? If the answer is yes, then approach your doctor and get his opinion.  If your doctor agrees, you will also need the approval of your insurance company to see if they will cover the surgery. Your family should also be consulted.  Talk to them and explain your feelings and desires.  This is a very risky surgery and you will need their help and support.  

On a scale of 1 to 10 with a heart bypass being a 10, gastric bypass is an 8.  It is extremely complicated and the risks of dying are 1 out of 10. You must have a psychological evaluation, blood tests, and lung testing and blood gases tested prior to getting admitted.  You must have health risks as well as being at least 100 pounds overweight with a body mass index of 51 before some surgeons will even consider you as a candidate. 

If you are approved and you do undergo this type of surgery, you must be committed to making radical changes in your food intake and lifestyle. Your food intake is limited to 1 to 3 ounces within the first few weeks of surgery. You will have to take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of your life due to the body not being able to absorb nutrients and dehydration in the summer can also be an issue. Another not so pleasant side effect of the gastric bypass or Roux-en-Y surgery is called dumping syndrome.  This is caused when food moves very quickly from the stomach to the small intestine.  It can cause nausea, cold sweats, chills, severe diarrhea and chest pain.  The dumping syndrome can also be caused by too much sugar consumption or too many fatty meals. 

Gastric bypass is the most commonly performed weight loss surgery and is not reversible. It is very complicated and has many significant risks. Most people who have this surgery lose at least 60% of their weight after surgery, and some obtain an 80% weight loss. Typically, people reach their lowest weight loss within two years and 90% are able to maintain their loss of at least half their original body weight ten years after the surgery.  

As with any weight loss program or surgery, please do your research and think carefully about your decision. It will be a life long decision and you will have to make many changes.

There are at least two types of weight loss surgery available these days. Adjustable gastric banding surgery or lap band as it is more commonly known is one of them.  Lap Band works by decreasing the amount of food you can eat, before you feel full or too full.  This is accomplished by placing a silicone band with an inner inflatable ring around the upper stomach to slow food going into the lower stomach. What makes this surgery different from others?  It is the ability to adjust the band.

The inner ring can be inflated or deflated as needed to achieve weight loss by restricting the stomach.  Basically the person should feel full with a lesser amount of food consumed.  There by slowing the digestion and increasing the feeling of fullness.  The ring is inflated or deflated through a port just below the skin, by adding or removing saline solution.  If the band is not tight enough, too much food is eaten at a meal and the band needs to be tightened.  On the other hand, if the patient experiences vomiting or difficult swallowing after eating, it may be too tight, and some of the solution will need to be removed.

Weight loss surgery is not something to be taken lightly.  It is a major decision and requires the person to alter their eating habits or it is a waste of time and money.  This is the least invasive surgery with the only non reversible piece being that of the port.  It is permanent.   The surgery can be performed by laparoscopy using general anesthesia.  Recovery time is minimal, with patients returning to work within a few days and normal activities within a week or two.    

Weight loss outcome with lap band surgery is usually two to three pounds a week to start, and usually after the first year slows to approximately one pound a week.  Exercise is still a very important part of this as well as modifying behavior and eating habits.  If this is something you are considering, talk to your doctor, explore all the details and make sure you have tried everything else beyond reason prior to taking this step.  It is still surgery and you have to be committed to making changes in your life for it to work.