Thursday 30 July 2015

Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss - Part 8 Surgical options

8. How many pounds overweight should I be to be considered for a surgical weight loss program?
Weight loss surgeries-also called bariatric surgeries-can help treat obesity. You should only consider surgical treatment for weight loss if you: have a BMI of 40 or higher, have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems, or you have not had success with other weight-loss methods.

Body mass index is a key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared.

Common types of weight loss surgeries are:
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The surgeon uses surgical staples to create a small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The pouch is attached to the middle part of the small intestine. Food bypasses the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs.

Laparoscopic gastric banding. A band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch and narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The size of the band can be adjusted. A surgeon can remove the band if needed.

Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) or BPD with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). In BPD, a large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a small pouch. The pouch is connected to the last part of the small intestine, bypassing other parts of the small intestine. In BPD/DS, less of the stomach and small intestine are removed. This surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs from food. This surgery is used less often than other types of surgery because of the high risk of malnutrition.

If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery. You will need to: follow your doctor's directions as you heal, make lasting changes in the way you eat, follow a healthy eating plan and be physically active, and take vitamins and minerals if needed.

You should also talk to your doctor about risks and side effects of weight loss surgery. Side effects may include: infection, leaking from staples, hernia, blood clots in the leg veins that travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism), dumping syndrome, in which food moves from your stomach to your intestines too quickly, and not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Scott_Lewis

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