Bariatric Surgery in India - Benefits, Types and Myths Debunked
More Than Just Weight Loss: Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery refers to altering your digestive system to help you lose weight and keep it off. It is a minimally invasive procedure with a 90% success rate. However, it can be costly: prices can go up to Rs 6 lakhs in metro cities such as Delhi or Mumbai. However, it helps manage various obesity-related conditions.
Introduction
As we move into the latter half of the decade, obesity rates are on the rise in India. According to recent surveys, there has been a significant increase in obesity, especially in urban areas. People suffering from this condition often find it hard to lose weight.
It is where bariatric or metabolic surgery comes into play. Its primary objective is to help obese people lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Accompany us in this blog and explore what bariatric surgery is and how it works!
Breaking it Down: What is Bariatric Surgery?
Often termed as weight-loss surgery, it helps people lose weight successfully. They work by modifying your stomach and large intestine so that they do not absorb many calories. Although it is not a quick fix, bariatric surgery is an effective solution in the long run.
Doctors often recommend this to people who have been unsuccessful in losing weight through traditional methods. Not only does it keep the weight off, but it also aids in managing many life-threatening diseases.
Who is the surgery for?
Technically, anyone suffering from obesity can opt for this surgery. However, doctors have a strict threshold for eligibility since it may involve several complications. If you resonate with any of the following, you can talk to your doctor about this surgery:
- Your Body Mass Index is over 40, indicating extreme obesity.
- BMI exceeding 35, indicating obesity and weight-related health problems.
- You are struggling with conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or severe sleep apnoea.
Your doctor will only suggest this surgery if your weight poses a greater threat than the surgery. Now, let us explore how it helps manage various diseases.
Bariatric Surgery and Other Diseases
Apart from helping with weight loss, this surgery helps in many conditions and diseases associated with obesity. They are as follows:
- Heart Disease: Obesity can cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels, leading to heart failure and a risk of stroke. The surgery can help reduce these risks.
- Hyperlipidaemia: ‘Lipid’ refers to fat. Also known as high cholesterol, it suggests your blood has too many fatty acids. This condition can be life-threatening.
- Osteoarthritis: Weight accumulation puts stress on your knees. Prolonged stress leads to this degenerative disease, which can be extremely painful.
- Kidney Disease: When you are overweight, your body normalises the excessive weight and develops insulin resistance, leading to kidney failure.
- Fatty Liver Disease: Commonly known as Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), it deposits excess fat into your liver.
You may wonder, ‘But how does one surgery help manage so many diseases?’ . Let us explore that in the next section.
How Does the Procedure Work?
There are different types of bariatric surgery, and the procedure depends on what kind the doctors are performing. In general, these surgeries are not invasive and use small incisions. Therefore, you can heal faster as well.
Common methods include reducing the stomach size or bypassing the intestine. Additionally, your doctor can alter your appetite hormones.
Gastric sleeve and gastric bypass are the most common types of bariatric surgery.
Gastric Sleeve vs Gastric Bypass: Understanding the Difference
While gastric sleeve (also known as sleeve gastrectomy) and gastric bypass are both forms of metabolic surgery, they differ in their methods and how they affect the body.
| Aspects | Gastric Sleeve | Gastric Bypass |
| Methodology | Removes 80% of your stomach permanently | Removes the first part of the small intestine and most of your stomach, creating a pouch |
| Nature | One-step procedure | Two-step procedure, Modern Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is typically a single-stage operation. Two-stage approaches are reserved for high-risk patients. |
| Complications | Stomach narrowing, GERD, and stomach obstruction | Bowel obstruction, stomach perforation and ulcers |
| Results | Slightly slower weight loss with 60-70% loss | Rapid weight loss with a 60-80% loss |
| Reversibility | Permanent, but can be converted to other procedures. | Irreversible |
| Follow-up Procedures | Required | Lifelong follow-up is mandatory for ALL bariatric procedures to monitor nutritional status (B12, iron, calcium), weight regain, and complications. |
Debunking Bariatric Surgery Myths
With its numerous benefits and weight loss solutions, bariatric surgery is often misunderstood. It is easy to get lost in the myths and panic. Do not worry! Here are popular myths debunked:
- Easy Way Out: People often assume that losing weight through surgery is the easy way out. The term is quite popular on social media, clouding the truth. As mentioned earlier, doctors only suggest this if other weight loss methods do not work.
- The Surgery is Dangerous: Bariatric surgery is a safe procedure with minimal invasion. It carries the same risks as any other procedure, such as infection and side effects of anaesthesia. However, most people recover very easily with minimal complications.
- Provides Instant Results: Nothing provides instant results. It is true for this surgery as well. You can notice visible results within 3 to 6 months. Always remember, your focus should be on health and not a quick fix.
- Saviour of all Diseases: The truth cannot be further. While it is true that the surgery significantly manages other obesity-related conditions, it does not ‘cure’ them. After your surgery, you have to move towards a healthy lifestyle. It only helps your body to reach a state where it can function properly.
After the Surgery: Postoperative Care
After your operation, you will stay in the hospital for 2 to 3 days. Post-surgical pain is common, and you may experience it at the incision site. Moreover, you may also experience fatigue, lightheadedness, weakness and vomiting.
Before discharge from the hospital, your bariatric care team will give you strict dietary instructions. Here are some things you should avoid doing post-op:
- Avoid lifting heavy objects.
- Avoid driving while you are on medication.
Connect with your doctor and visit the follow-up sessions to gauge your progress. Remember, you are not alone in your weight loss journey.
Final Thoughts
Weight loss surgery can be life-changing. It provides a jump-start to a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Obesity can be difficult to manage, but with proper assistance, you too can minimise your risk of life-threatening ailments. If you face any such symptoms for bariatric surgery, seek out a doctor.
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