WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY?

Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery or metabolic surgery, is now a well established treatment available for patients with morbid obesity worldwide.

WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY?

Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery or metabolic surgery, is now a well established treatment available for patients with morbid obesity worldwide.

Why is it needed?

Obesity is a disease with several medical implications which lead to poor quality of life. Obesity is now a proven risk factor for several diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, sleep apnea (snoring), knee pains etc.

Benefits of bariatric surgery

Surgery is now a proven treatment for weight loss which is safe, effective and provide long term results. When compared to other methods of weight loss like diet, lifestyle etc. surgery has been found to provide the most long lasting results.
Besides weight loss, surgery has been found to improve or even cure several comorbidities associated with obesity like diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea (snoring). And these results are not related to weight loss that happens over longer period of time rather improvement is seen in immediate post operative period.

How the surgery is done?
These surgeries are done laparoscopically via small incisions under general anaesthesia. This confers benefits of less pain, faster ambulation, faster recovery, early return to work.

Types of bariatric surgery
Broadly bariatric surgery is divided in to two types – restrictive and malabsorptive.

Laparoscopic Sleeve gastrectomy – This is a restrictive type of bariatric surgery. In this surgery, a part of stomach is cut and taken out to reduce the volume of stomach. This reduces the capacity of stomach whereby the amount of food one can take is reduced. The part of stomach that is taken out is also responsible for secreting hormone which increases appetite. So apart from reducing the capacity of stomach, this surgery also has an appetite reducing effect.
Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgeries – In this surgery, a small stomach pouch is created to reduce the volume of stomach. This pouch of stomach is then joined with a bypassed portion of intestine. So the food that one eats go to small stomach pouch and then enters the intestine. Since a large part of intestine is bypassed so the food doesn’t get absorbed completely – hence malabsorption happens.