Myths about Weight Loss Surgery. Part 1

1- Weight loss surgery is a great way to lose fifty pounds.

Definitely not. Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a treatment for morbid obesity when conventional interventions such as diet and exercise have failed. Most bariatric surgery patients are more than 100 pounds over their ideal body weight. NIH recommendations state, "Weight loss surgery is an option for carefully selected patients with clinically severe obesity (BMI = 40 or = 35 with co-morbid conditions) when less invasive methods of weight loss have failed and the patient is at high risk for obesity associated morbidity and mortality."

BMI (Body Mass Index) = weight in pounds, divided by height in inches squared, multiplied by 705. Co-morbidities are health problems caused by obesity and include such conditions as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and many others that cause pain and reduced quality of life.

2- Gastric surgery for weight loss will result in a large scar on your abdomen and require at least a month of recovery time.

Probably not. Most bariatric surgery can be done laparascopically. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive method that allows your doctor to operate through several small incisions. When considering weight loss surgery, you should select a physician who has received many years of specialized training in laparoscopic surgical techniques. Patients benefit from fast recovery, reduced pain, and minimal risk of developing hernias. An overnight inpatient stay is usually required after gastric banding while most gastric bypass patients stay for two nights. Patients generally walk several hours after surgery and are back at work five to ten days of hospital discharge.

3- "Stomach stapling" causes chronic diarrhea and loss of vitamins and mineral that leads to anemia and other health problems.

Diarrhea is rarely a long-term complication and nutrition supplementation can prevent depletion of vitamins and minerals. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure can be a safe effective method of weight surgical weight control. It is the most commonly performed operation for morbid obesity in this country. The surgeon creates a pouch about the size of your thumb at the top of your stomach. This small pouch opens directly into the intestine rather than into the rest of the stomach. This is done by resetting the small intestine and bringing one end up to the pouch to construct a connection. The other open end is sewn back into the side of the intestine, completing the Y-shaped arrangement that gives the procedure its name. Because food bypasses the lower portion of the stomach and part of the small intestine, there an increased risk of calcium, iron, and B12 deficiency. Supplementing with these nutrients is easy to do and should eliminate potential nutrient deficiencies. Most patients experience diarrhea only when they eat large quantities of sweets. This "inconvenience" is a planned side effect of the gastric bypass and is designed to help prevent obese patients from indulging in high-calorie candy, cakes, cookies, and pies etc.

4- The new innovative Lap Band is a gastric band that is temporarily placed around the stomach to restrict food intake until you reach your weight goal when it is removed.

No. The Lap Band is meant to provide long-term weight loss through permanent reduction in your capacity to eat large portions. Laparoscopic placement of an adjustable gastric band around the stomach creates a small upper pouch and a narrow passage into the large lower portion of the stomach. The Lap Band is designed to act as a "pacemaker" for eaters. After gastric banding, patients must eat slowly, chew well, avoid drinking beverages with meals, and reduce intake high calorie foods and liquids. If the band is removed, patients tend to resume previous eating patterns and regain weight rapidly.

5- Bariatric surgery leads to automatic, rapid weight loss and eliminates the need to ever diet or exercise.

To achieve their desirable weight, patients must make a lifelong commitment to healthy eating and moderate exercise. The restriction provided by gastric bypass and gastric banding procedures assists patients in eating less but everyone must still take responsibility for avoiding high calorie items on a regular basis. Exercise is necessary for good health in general and is helpful in increasing metabolism as well as muscle mass for improved appearance.