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Stomach Stapling (Bariatric Surgery)
Bariatric surgery is a last resort for those for feel that weight loss has become imperative and for whom all other interventions have failed. The two most popular types of bariatric surgery are gastric sleeve and gastric bypass,
In gastric sleeve surgery the stomach is stapled to about 15% of its normal size making it look rather like a sleeve. Patients lose weight because they feel full from smaller amounts of food and hence eat less.
Gastric bypass is a more invasive procedure in which staples are used to create a small section within the stomach that holds the food. The rest of the stomach remains unused. To move the food on from the stomach the surgeon then creates a hole in the smaller stomach section and connects the duodenum to the hole. Gastric bypass usually provides greater weight loss but it is subject to increased risk of complications such as small bowel obstruction, internal hernia and ulceration of the stomach at the point at which it connects with the small bowel.
Pros
Patients do lose weight in most cases. On average bariatric surgery can result in a 50 to 70 percent reduction in excess body weight over three years. In gastric bypass insulin sensitivity improves and type 2 diabetes resolves in nearly 90% of cases.
Cons
Bariatric Surgery is invasive. You will be exposed to risks and complications. It involves pain and discomfort. Risks include all the usual ones associated with surgery, including wound infection, nerve injury, gastric and deep vein thrombosis. These surgical risks are significantly higher among overweight people.
Bariatric surgery also carries the usual risks associated with anaesthetics.
Gastric bypass is associated with rapid gastric emptying or “dumping syndrome” this can cause
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Abdominal cramps
Feelings of acid regurgitation
Confusion
Diarrhea
Mood changes
Nausea
Sweating
Vomiting
You may experience less pleasure from eating following the procedure. In gastric bypass some patients report food tasting bitter or having an unpleasant texture, or smell.
Up to 30% of patients regain weight following the procedure because they return to previous unhealthy eating habits
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If your goal is weight loss at all costs, then bariatric surgery may be for you, but consider carefully the effect on your overall health of an invasive intrusion on your body. Not for nothing has it been referred to it as “barbaric surgery!”
Because Weight Loss Surgery Isn't Magic: National Association for Weight Loss Surgery; 2012 [cited 2020]. Available from: https://www.nawls.com/public/102.cfm