Sleeve Gastrectomy and Weight Loss

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a potentially safe and effective weight loss surgery for individuals with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and other high risk factors. The procedure essentially reduces the size of one’s stomach by stapling, which in turn leads to weight loss due to less food intake without bypassing the intestines or malabsorption.

Massive overeating stretches the stomach over time. This makes it harder for the stomach to fill, and this creates more frequent sensations of hunger. By performing stomach-reduction surgery, it allows for a smaller stomach that needs less food to fill. Statistics have shown patients who undergo this kind of procedure can lose weight at a rate of nearly two pounds a week or more.

However, because of the invasive nature of the surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, should only be done by a qualified surgeon with extensive experience in weight loss surgery. To learn more about the procedure or to schedule a consultation, visit Ready4aChange.com or call 1-800-270-7120.

Bariatric surgery can help you get rid of excess fat of your body and helps in leading a healthy lifestyle. This could be either achieved by stapling a small portion of your stomach or by tying the stomach with a band.

Lap band and gastric bypass are the two surgical options for severely obese patients who have been unable to control weight through diet and exercise. Deciding between the two largely depends on your personal preference and a good knowledge about both surgeries.

Lap band surgery is a minimally invasive procedure requiring no stomach stapling or re-routing of internal organs The Lap band consists of a silicone ring that is placed around the top of the stomach giving it the shape of an hourglass. The resulting pouch dramatically reduces the functional capacity of the stomach. It is designed in such a way that it can be inflated or deflated at any time after operation. Lap band surgery can be adjusted, moved and has no requirement for permanent alteration to the body of the stomach or intestines, which makes it a better option to lose weight.

Gastric bypass involves creating a small pouch by dividing the stomach. The small intestine is divided and brought up to join the new stomach pouch. This allows the food go straight from the stomach pouch into the small intestine, which causes it to bypass the lower stomach and the duodenum. This reduces the amount of calories that the body absorbs.

The lap band surgery lasts around an hour and requires an overnight stay in the hospital. Gastric bypass surgery takes about four hours and you may have to stay three to five days in a hospital after surgery.

Weight loss is quicker in gastric bypass. With lap band surgery initial weight loss is slower than Gastric bypass, however over a 5-year period, weight loss outcome is similar in both.

In case of lap band, it is easy to remove the band and reverse the surgery, requiring only a laparoscopic procedure, after which the stomach usually returns to its normal pre-banded state, since it uses an inflatable saline filled strap that is wrapped around your stomach. A gastric bypass surgery can be reversed, but it should not, as it is very risky.

A gastric bypass cannot be adjusted, while a lap band can be adjusted by means of a port through the skin that the surgeon leaves just below the ribs. To tighten the lap band, the surgeons injects saline solution into it.

Gastric bypass surgery is more expensive than a Lap band surgery. While the cost of lap band surgery comes in between $15,000 to $20,000, gastric bypass costs $20,000 to $25,000.
Gather information like procedure, precautions, recovery period, reversibility and cost of both types of bariatric surgeries. This will help you make the most informed decision.

Have you tried diets and exercise programs without any positive results? If nothing worked, weight loss surgery may be the best option when it comes to losing weight. You might be a candidate for surgery if you have not been able to lose weight with diet, exercise and drugs.

Weight loss surgery is not for every one who is severely obese. Whether you are a good candidate for weight loss surgery or not is a decision that you and your doctor will make together. One of the most important measures of eligibility that your doctor will use is your body mass index (BMI) – a calculation based on your height and weight. Your BMI will classify you whether you are overweight, obese and severely obese and determine if you are a candidate for surgery or not.

The BMI measurement categories weight as follows-
BMI between 19 and 25-healthy
BMI between 25 and 30-overweight
BMI over 30-obese
BMI more than 40-severely obese
A person with a BMI of 40 or more is at a much higher risk of suffering from obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, reduced mobility and high blood pressure.
Surgery may be right for you if-
1.You are an adult (at least 18 years old)
2.Your BMI is 40 or more or your weight at least twice of your ideal weight
3.You have been overweight for more than 5 years
4.Your various attempt to lose weight had only short term results
5.You don’t drink alcohol in excess
6.You don’t have an illness that has caused you to be overweight.
7.You are committed to making changes in your lifestyle and diet

Your surgeon may consider whether surgery is right for you if your BMI is between 35 and 40 and you have a health related problem due to obesity. It is better to discuss these criteria with your doctor.

Weight loss surgery is a serious consideration, not a quick fix or easy option. This is a part of life- long weight management program that makes you more realistic to lose weight and maintain it afterwards.

Weight loss surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat by either reducing the size of your stomach or bypassing your stomach. There are various techniques of obesity surgery include stomach stapling, gastric banding, gastric bypass. Mainly there are two types of surgeries are done that can help you to lose weight-gastric band/lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery and lap band surgery is one of the most advanced adjustable gastric banding systems approved by FDA.

Medical tourism, also known as health tourism or medical travel or health travel or medical value travel or overseas medical or medical outsourcing, is a term coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly growing practice of traveling to other countries for medical treatment and health care. It is not a new concept as we have instances in history where Greek pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean used to travel to a small territory in the sardonic gulf called epidauria.
Medical tourists are different from normal tourists opting for medical or cosmetic treatment just because it is available, but they are patients with significant health concerns for whom their health care is the min concern and the vacation aspect a secondary one. Many people are choosing medical tourism for complex medical situations like joint replacement, cardiac surgery or even cosmetic surgery
Medical tourism aims at rejuvenating a person mentally, physically and emotionally, drawing him away from his daily routine to a relaxed environment in an exotic location.

The primary reasons of medical tourism is high medical cost in one’s own country, long wait time procedures, the ease and affordability of international travel and improvement in both technology and standards of care in many countries. The popular destinations for medical tourism are Agentina, Cuba, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and New Zealand.

Mexico is one the most sought after destinations for medical tourism. It’s proximity to the US and Canada makes it easy for patients from these countries to travel there. Some people are even able to drive to Mexico to obtain low cost surgery. No passport or visa is required for US citizens. Along with this Mexico offers great beaches, vibrant culture, beautiful scenery, diving, golf course and delicious cuisines. Not only Mexico boasts of high quality doctors and hospitals, but also the medical savings in Mexico are tremendous. The savings can be around 50% of what is spend in the US and Mexico for the same treatments. Patients have reported of being treated with warmth, respect and a smile. They received a lot of attention in Mexico and felt that people went out of their way for them. Although people are very efficient there is no feeling of being rushed. Doctors spend a lot of time with the patients.

Dental work is one of the most common procedures patients go to have done, but knee and hip surgeries and cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries are popular as well. Mexico is also popular for savings on prescription medications. Though the same international companies supply in US and Mexico but in Mexico the medicines can be bought for a fraction of the amount spend in the US. This cuts the post operative costs drastically.

The Gastric Bypass Surgery (GBS) combines both restrictive and malabsorption processes. The creation of a small stomach pouch causes restricted food intake and construction of bypasses of the duodenum and other segment of the small intestine causes malabsorption, which decreases ability to absorb calories and nutrients from food.

There are two types of GBS.

The first type is known as Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RGB).This surgery was the first performed in US and today it is most popular Gastric bypass surgery all over the world. A small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together or by vertical branching. Thereafter, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first portion of the jejunum. Now it is possible to perform this surgery by laparoscopic technology.

Another type of GBS is called extensive gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion. This type is more complicated than RGB. The lower portion of the stomach is surgically removed. The remaining pouch is connected directly to the final segment of the small intestine .As a result both duodenum and jejunum are bypassed. This type is not very popular as it has a risk for nutritional deficiencies.

People who undergo gastric bypass surgery are at risk for Pouch stretching. The stomach may stretch back to its original size before surgery. Sometimes the breaking of staples can reverse the procedure. Leakage of stomach contents into the abdomen can cause acid eat other organs.

Some people complain of Dumping Syndrome. It occurs when stomach contents move too rapidly through small intestine. It causes nausea, vomiting, weakness, sweating, faintness and diarrhea after eating. Gallstone can occur in response to rapid weight loss. The limited absorption of vitamin B-12 and iron can cause anemia. The lack of calcium absorption causes osteoporosis.

But, the benefits of the surgery definitely outweigh the risks. More than 75% of the patients are expected to lose 75-80% of their excess body weight .About 70-80% of the patients stop taking medication for hypertension. Other conditions such as sleep apnea, asthma, joint pain, arthiritis, fatigue, shortness of breath are drastically improved if not completely resolved.