How to Choose the Best Type of Bariatric Surgery

How to Choose the Best Type of Bariatric Surgery : Choosing to undergo weight loss surgery is a significant decision that requires proper research and information before making your choice. Several factors can affect each individual’s weight, and while it is always recommended to change diet, lifestyle, and increase exercise, sometimes it is medically necessary to consult with a Perth doctor for weight loss procedures that will benefit your health and safety.

Below, discover more about bariatric surgery: who it’s for, what it is, and its results.

Who Should Consider Bariatric Surgery?

Weight loss surgery means just that: a surgical procedure to aid in an individual’s journey to getting to a healthy weight while also lowering the risk of medical problems that occur because of obesity. In most cases, surgery for any illness or condition is considered as the last resort, as it is invasive and calls for the alteration of body function.

However, it is important to note that with individuals whose diabetes is caused by obesity, and for whom diet and lifestyle changes, as well as medication, has not proven effective, that it may be a worthwhile option to get weight loss surgery in order to help control the effects of diabetes on the body and reduce further risk.

If the individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40, or a BMI of 35-39.9 and existing medical issues such as diabetes, heart disease, or sleep apnea, they should consider bariatric surgery to help them take control of their health and weight.

Introduction To Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity

Diabetes is a condition in which someone is unable to maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. This occurs as a result of a problem with the amount or function of a hormone called insulin.

This is known as diabetes, and in the context of bariatric surgery, people who have obesity are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Before type 2 diabetes develops, someone may first develop insulin resistance, whereby the body is unable to properly utilise the insulin that is already available in order to maintain a healthy level of glucose in the blood. Over time the need for insulin increases but the production centre also known as the pancreas is unable to keep up the demand and starts to burn out and slowly loses its ability to produce insulin.

It’s important to note that moderate and sustained weight loss has been shown to improve insulin action in the body, reduce the need for medication, and improve the body’s ability to maintain a healthy level of glucose in the blood. This is why the first step for weight loss when it comes to diabetes is to improve an individual’s daily diet and exercise.

Physiological mechanisms for improved glycemic control have shown favourable results in a large number of cases. However, in some cases, this may not be enough to get substantial weight loss, and surgery may be required.

Diabetes Complications

Type 2 diabetes, and consequently, obesity, reduces the quality of life and can result in a higher mortality rate. There is a reason why it is called a silent killer, after all. When left uncontrolled, it can raise the risk for heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, dental problems, vision issues that can lead to blindness, as well as amputations from infections in the feet.

Bariatric Surgery As An Effective Treatment For Type 2 Diabetes In Obese Patients

The benefits and overall safety of bariatric surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes make it a worthy option when considering your health. This is because a large percentage of patients who have obesity, and who undergo bariatric surgery, have achieved diabetes remission as a result of their weight loss surgery. This is because bariatric surgery alters the digestive system in three main ways.

The first approach involves performing surgical procedures that encourage the restriction, which physically limits the amount of food that a stomach can hold, which then, in turn, reduces the calorie intake of the individual.
The second approach involves performing surgical procedures that encourage malabsorption, so that the food intake of the individual bypasses a part of the small intestine, therefore reducing the number of calories and nutrients absorbed by the body.
The third approach involved performing surgical procedures that influence the hormones in the body that control hunger.

Improvements in technology have allowed surgeons to offer different bariatric surgery techniques but the most tested methods have been:

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band;
Gastric sleeve surgery also called sleeve gastrectomy;
Gastric bypass.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band

A Perth weight loss doctor performing this type of surgery will do this method by creating a small pouch with a ring and an inner inflatable band placed around your stomach. Filled with a circular balloon that has a salt solution in it, your surgeon can adjust the size of the opening by either removing or injecting more salt solution through the port that is placed under your skin’s layer. This addition gives the individual a full feeling after eating small portions, which will then reduce calorie intake, but it does require follow-up visits to adjust the size of the band opening as necessary. If it does not work to help with weight loss, it is also removable.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is a similar concept to the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. The food intake is reduced because there is less space for food to fit in the stomach. However, this method requires the removal of most of the stomach, leaving only a short section. Because of its permanent alteration of the body’s function, it can affect your gut hormones, bacteria, and your general appetite and metabolism. Gastric sleeve surgery, unlike the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, cannot be reversed.

Gastric Bypass

There are different types of gastric bypass, however, the most common is known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This procedure can affect gut hormones, bacteria, appetite and metabolism, in a similar way to gastric sleeve surgery. Gastric bypass surgery can be reversed, although this is very difficult.

The surgeon staples the stomach and creates a small pouch in the upper section, which limits the area and gives a fuller feeling with less food intake. Then, the small intestine is cut and attached directly to the stomach pouch, which then ensures that the food that passes through bypasses most of the stomach, as well as the upper part of the small intestine.

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