Bariatric and metabolic surgery, more prominently known as weight loss surgery, has a long list of benefits. Especially to those who have a low quality of life due to being overweight and patients who suffer from comorbidities, or health problems.
While weight loss is imminent after the operation, most patients lose weight rapidly and continue to do so for up to 36 months following surgery (as long as proper diet and exercise routine is followed). Gastric surgeries, like gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, improves and reverses diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, fertility (PCOS), fatty liver disease, etc. Your self-image and confidence get a boost, and you will be able to break the social stigma.
We will discuss the 9 advantages of sustained weight loss through bariatric surgery in this article.
1. Fast Weight Loss
Patients can expect to lose most, if not all, of their excess weight in 1 to 2 years following weight loss surgery. The average weight loss is between 50-70% of excess body weight 6 to 12 months following surgery.
During this time, individuals establish a healthy diet and exercise routine, which allows them to continue to lose weight quickly. Patients should be able to sustain at least 50% of their excess weight 10 years and beyond with a proper lifestyle.
Ultimately, bariatric surgeries help you eat less due to restriction and become full faster because of hormonal changes. Therefore, you will be consuming fewer calories resulting in rapid and efficacious weight loss.
Some of the most common obesity-related health conditions are Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea syndrome, and heart disease. Whether it is a gastric sleeve, gastric banding, gastric bypass or duodenal switch surgery, all of these weight loss surgeries have shown improvements in these underlying medical conditions following surgery.
2. Type II Diabetes (T2DM)
Diabetes type 2 is growing rapidly around the world and bariatrics is an efficient treatment for patient’s partial or complete remission – more effective than conventional diet change and medication. In one study alone, 77% of Type II Diabetes patients were able to stop taking any glucose-control medications and insulin.
3. Hypertension
Your cholesterol and blood pressure levels can go back to normal improving your overall heart health. A survey showed that nearly 60% of high blood pressure patients could stop taking medication and 80% of them saw improvement in their blood pressure readings. Weight loss surgery reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and improves cardiovascular health.
4. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) commonly associated with obesity can go away completely after bariatrics. After weight loss surgery the need for a CPAP machine when you sleep is alleviated.
Read More: Bariatric Surgery Improves Sleep Quality
5. Joint Pain
For those with lower back pain, degenerative disk, or joint disease, losing just 25 pounds can result in relief and greater comfort overall. The bariatric surgery alleviates ongoing pain symptoms in your knees and joints as well as your lower back. You won’t need to take over-the-counter or prescription pain medications to function each day.
Read More: Bariatric Surgery Proven to Ease Arthritis
6. Fertility (PCOS)
More than 50% of women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) problems experience enhanced fertility and minimal or no complications during pregnancy. Having a child becomes a reality for patients undergone bariatric surgery.
7. Improved Quality of Life
According to a National Business Coalition on Health study, bariatric surgery has helped patients lose over 50% of their excess weight in just three to six months following their operation leading to an overall better outlook on life.
Overall your quality of life will improve. This is because you will learn how to eat properly and to eat less will not make you feel deprived in any sense. Many clinical studies have shown that bariatric surgery patients felt better following their weight loss surgery and spent more time doing physical activities.
Depression and anxiety instances are lowered, and there is an overall improvement in one’s emotional well-being and social skills. Most people had more energy and thus a better outlook on life. The patients also mentioned that they were more productive and had more self-confidence than before their bariatric surgery.
Weight loss contributes to higher self-esteem, which will help eliminate the need for emotional overeating, which made obese individuals suffer.
8. Extended Life Expectancy
Studies show that the risk of early death for obese people is twice as likely as that of an average weight individual. A clinical study shows that gastric bypass surgery reduces the mortality rate in patients with severe obesity by over 89% in just five years.
9. Lower COVID-19 Risk Factor
Individuals with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) have a lower respiratory system volume. Obesity-related conditions seem to worsen the effect of COVID-19. Bariatric surgery patients have a lower chance of contracting SARS-CoV-2.
Learn more about COVID-19 Risk Factors.
Additional Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
– Other Improved Health Conditions
- Asthma – Individuals impacted by asthma are proven less severe or fewer attacks and sometimes none following bariatric surgery.
- Acid reflux/GERD – Significantly relieved of their symptoms just a few days following weight loss procedures like gastric bypass surgery.
- Stress Urinary Incontinence (UI) – Substantial improvements in UI condition are observed in bariatric patients.
For gallbladder disease patients, surgeons can remove the organ during weight loss surgery to avoid any further pain and the risk of developing gallstones following surgery.
– Saving Money
Ultimately losing weight will help obese individuals save money on prescriptions, doctor visits, other surgeries related to their comorbidities and the overall cost of food will go down too.
Conclusion
Weight loss surgery has many benefits that should be considered when deciding whether or not this is the right path for you. What are the other benefits of bariatric surgery? Share your experience with us!
CEO and Founder of Mexico Bariatric Center®, Dr. Ron Elli, emphasizes the importance of choosing a medical tourism facilitator with extensive experience in offering these procedures.
“Patients are safe and have the best success rate when supported by an experienced and knowledgeable medical team that includes best weight loss surgeons, surgeon liaison, nutritionist, and aftercare support,” says Ron Elli, Ph.D.
Reference: American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
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