How Does Bariatric Surgery Help In Weight Loss?

by Dr. Chirag Thakkar Surgeon

Life is not easy being overweight. Obesity holds back a person from living their best life. Not to mention that it is also a serious health hazard. Any moment it can transform into a serious illness. Mostly, reducing calorie intake and increasing physical activity works in favor of people trying to lose weight. However, these methods do not work for everyone and opting for bariatric surgery may be the right option for them if obesity becomes a serious health issue.

Note that bariatric surgery is not a single procedure but it is a collective term used to denote a group of surgeries that lead to weight loss. Among all the bariatric surgeries, the gastric bypass is the most popular option as it involves fewer risks and side-effects.

Why bariatric surgery is done?

Some people are susceptible to gaining weight. They might also find it difficult to shed the extra pounds. The increasing weight sometimes reaches a dangerous level where they might develop life-threatening conditions. In such cases, bariatric surgery is often the route suggested by doctors.

The bariatric specialist might suggest bariatric surgery if you have tried changing diets and doing intensive exercise only to see no results. Further, bariatric surgery also becomes necessary if you are suffering from obesity-related issues such as heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Bariatric surgery can solve the following obesity-related issues:

Stroke
High blood pressure
Gastroesophageal reflux
And severe sleep apnea

After bariatric surgery, as the weight decreases, patients find themselves taking fewer medications to manage their weight. It also provides a stark improvement in other obesity-related conditions.

How bariatric surgery promotes weight loss?

BPD/DS (Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch), Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, Gastric bypass, Intragastric balloon, and Sleeve gastrectomy are the different forms of bariatric surgery.

The bariatric surgery works by altering the digestive tract i.e. stomach and other digestive organs. It produces some physiological changes that alter fat metabolism in the body. When the gastrointestinal anatomy is changed it promotes the secretion of some intestinal hormones. These intestinal hormones reduce appetite and hunger. They also help in feeling full for longer periods. This, in turn, helps in consuming food less frequently.

One should remember that undergoing bariatric surgery cannot be the sole reason to lose weight. Other factors such as eating habits, diet, and exercise play a major role as well.

Whichever bariatric surgery you go for the main working mechanism usually remains the same. The surgery affects the digestive system in such a way that the energy expenditure is enhanced in the body. Here energy expenditure means to burn calories. With a proper establishment of the energy balance in the body, it becomes easier to lose weight and maintain the new weight for longer periods.

In addition to the above process, bariatric surgery also promotes weight loss by fixing the faults of the body's fat metabolism. With reduced fat storage in the body, people are easily able to see the results of their exercise. This outcome further motivates them to exercise more leading to more loss in weight.

With a reduction in weight, normal hormonal balance is restored, unnecessary fat deposition in the body is stopped, and insulin which is responsible for sugar metabolism can function smoothly. All of these factors lead to the attainment of a healthy weight by shedding the extra pounds.

Details on bariatric surgery procedure

The surgery is performed under the influence of general anesthesia. The exact steps of the surgery depend on the kind of bariatric surgery you are undergoing. There are broadly two ways of performing bariatric surgery.

One is through the laparoscopy method, where small holes are made in the stomach. In this case, a camera and other surgical instruments are inserted into the incisions to perform the surgery. This is less invasive and the recovery is quite fast.

The other method is traditional surgery or open stomach surgery. This is an invasive method and the recovery time is also longer. The laparoscopic surgery is the most popular choice in most cases. However, which type of surgery is the right one for you depends on your situation.

Bariatric surgery is major surgery and it will take several hours to complete. After the successful completion of the procedure, you may be required to stay in the hospital for 3 to 5 days. You will be monitored and observed for any potential complications during your hospital stay after the surgery.

Bariatric surgery result

The weight loss achieved through bariatric surgery is long-lasting. However, how much you lose weight depends on several aspects like diet, exercise and the type of bariatric surgery you underwent. You may be able to drop half of your weight or even more. Additionally, with weight reduction, you will also observe improvement in your overall health.