With more than one-third of U.S. adults considered obese, obesity surgery is one the rise. Although there is no formal system for tracking obesity surgery statistics, the American Society of Bariatric Surgery estimates roughly 100,00 are performed each year, with that number consistently rising.
Types
There are two forms of obesity surgery, gastric bypass and gastric banding. The goal of both procedures is to reshape the patient's stomach so it is smaller and can only hold a few ounces of food at a time. But how doctors perform each is very different.
Gastric Bypass
Using either traditional open or laparoscopic (minimally-invasive) surgery techniques, physicians staple off part of the stomach to create a new, smaller one. The small intestines are then reattached to the small pouch. This creates a shorter path for food to travel, and for calories to be absorbed, during the digestive process.
Gastric Banding
Physicians use laparoscopic instruments to wrap a small, adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch. Although the band itself is permanent, its width---and thus the size of the stomach---can be adjusted through a small abdominal port, as needed, to meet the patient's weight loss goals.
Effects
Following both procedures, patients are only able to eat a few teaspoons of food before becoming full.
Benefits
Although weight loss varies from patient to patient, the typical gastric bypass patient loses up to 75 percent of excess weight within one year. Weight loss is slower with gastric banding, with patients generally losing 50 percent of excess weight within two years.
Risks
Possible complications from obesity surgery include bowel obstruction or leakage, post-surgical infection, anemia and vitamin deficiencies.
Added Insights
It's important to note that more than cosmetic changes occur with this kind of weight loss. Health benefits of being at a healthy weight include reduced risk of potentially life-threatening conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
Tags: obesity surgery, both procedures, create smaller, excess weight, excess weight within