There Are Numerous Weight Loss Procedures

Many people believe there’s only one type of weight loss surgery known as Lap Banding. This is because it’s the most commonly discussed procedure. However, there are numerous weight loss procedures that are available to you.

Before explaining the most popular procedures, it’s important to understand they have one common goal. They restrict the amount of food your stomach can hold so you only eat very small meals. This leads to short term weight loss and can get you off all diabetes medications and improve your health in many other ways.

Lap Banding is the most common form as it’s reversible. The surgeon sews a silicon band around the stomach near the top, reducing its size. It contains a balloon which is joined to a tube that goes to a port that sits under the skin and just above the abdominal muscles.

Saline is added or removed from the tube to adjust the band’s size. Your doctor can do it as often as necessary. This procedure has the least of any possible complications but you don’t generally lose as much weight.

The Sleeve Gastrectomy is NOT reversible so you must make an educated decision before undergoing this procedure. The stomach is divided so a long pouch connects the small intestine to the esophagus. The pouch is then stapled and the rest of your stomach is removed. You’re left with only 25% of your original size stomach so all meals will be very small for the rest of your life. I had this procedure done successfully and I will cover my own experience in more detail in a future article.

There are a number of procedures that come under the umbrella of the Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y.) The top part of the stomach is cut and stapled to create a tiny pouch that connects to the esophagus. The pouch is only about 10% of the size of the original stomach. The rest of the stomach stays connected to the top of your small intestines.

Rather than go into complicated details about how the different bypass procedures differ, suffice it to say they’re quite commonly carried out and the exact nature will usually depend on the person’s weight and general health. Sometimes a Lap Band procedure is done to reduce some weight first if the person is morbidly obese because this offers a greater chance for success in the long run.

These three types of procedures are the most commonly used. Thorough tests must be carried out beforehand to calculate what option may be best for you. All surgeries carry some form of risk and the surgeon naturally needs to minimize all possible risks to you.

Weight loss surgery is not an option to be considered lightly. Do your research, ask questions and weigh up your options before making any sort of decision because, apart from the Lap Band, there’s no turning back once it’s done.

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