subject: The Skinny On Stomach Reduction Surgery [print this page] Estimates have placed the obesity rate in the United States at the epidemic proportions of 50 million Americans, 3 million of whom are considered morbidly obese. We can safely assume that many of these obese individuals have adopted weight loss plans involving a healthy diet, high intensity interval training exercises, sufficient rest and maybe even an herbal weight loss pill or two. And yet, sadly still no appreciable results.
Good News
In this case, stomach reduction surgery may be the best option. Also known as bariatric surgery, it is a major invasive operation where the stomach is stapled or banded to form a small apple-sized sac at its topmost part. A small part of the small intestine is then sewn into the sac, which bypasses the larger part of the stomach.
Surgical technicalities aside, bariatric surgery aims to significantly lessen the amount of food that your stomach can accommodate. With such drastic limitation on food intake, you can lose weight faster than with the traditional combo of diet, exercise and rest.
Qualified Patients
Lest you go into thinking that stomach reduction surgery can be performed on anybody desiring of fast weight loss, you have another think coming. It must be emphasized that weight is not the sole determinant of being a good candidate for the surgery. You must meet four strict requirements before a surgeon will even consider your case.
First, you must be considered morbidly obese with a body-mass index of 40 or higher. Second, you should show proof that your previous efforts in healthy weight loss have been failures through little fault of your own. Third, you must be sufficiently healthy to undergo surgery. Fourth, you must commit and conform to total lifestyle changes from a healthy diet and exercise to avoidance of smoking and drinking. Stomach reduction surgery is not the be-all and end-all of weight loss.
Long-term Benefits
With the total lifestyle changes, you can expect to lose 50 to 60 percent of your pre-surgery weight within the next 3 to 6 months after the operation. Keep in mind that even with a working stomach the size of a small apple, you may still gain weight if and when you fail to conform to the diet and exercise plan set by the health professionals.
You will be able to see and enjoy maximum results of the bariatric surgery in one to two years. By then, your weight should be in the normal levels, your physical health will be restored and your self-confidence will definitely be on an all-time high. All these benefits of stomach reduction surgery are based on the assumption that no major complications occur along the way.
Risks and Immediate Side Effects
You should also be aware that there are risks and side effects involved with bariatric surgery. The risk of death is an ever-present sword hanging over the surgery, which the Mayo Clinic estimates at one in every 2,300 operations - rare but present, nonetheless. Other risks include incision hernia, pneumonia and blood clots.
Side effects include general fatigue, dry skin, hair loss and mood changes weeks and months after the operation. But in time, all these symptoms will resolve without medical intervention.
If you want to be skinny, then you must get the skinny on stomach reduction surgery.
