| Dr. Kelvin Higa is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Here the doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Bariatric Surgery.
Q. When can a patient go back to their normal activity level?
A. Most patients can return to sedentary work after one week; some in a few days depending on the type of procedure they have had.
Q. Briefly describe the 'implantable gastric stimulation' procedure.
A. The implantable gastric stimulation devices are still quite investigational. Their purpose is to help patients lose weight by decreasing calorie intake. How they accomplish this is still being studied. However, other operations, such as the gastric bypass have been around for almost 40 years in one form or another. The adjustable gastric band has been implanted for over 15 years. The sleeve gastrectomy is a relative newcomer with less than seven years of data.
Q. What are the complications and risks associated with bariatric surgery?
A. Complications of Bariatric/Metabolic surgery can range from a minor wound infection to major leakage or even death. Despite the risks, the risks of untreated obesity are far worse. Individuals with the diseases of morbid obesity are much more likely to die from complications of the obesity and associated diseases such as cardiac disease, diabetes, and even cancer than those who have had surgery.
Q. Does bariatric surgery involve new eating habits?
A. Of course. One does not undergo major surgery to stay the same. What Bariatric/Metabolic surgery does is to act as the "tool" that allows an individual to achieve and maintain healthy eating habits.
Q. What are the success rates associated with each type of surgery?
A. Bariatric/Metabolic surgery has been shown to improve or resolve Diabetes 84%, Hypertension 75%, Hyperlipidemia 94%, and Sleep Apnea 87% of the time. In addition, Bariatric/Metabolic surgery offers an 40% reduction in death overall, 92% death reduction from diabetes, 56% death reduction from heart disease, and 60% death reduction from cancer.
Also, patients benefit from the increased energy, productivity and quality of life afforded by weight loss as well. It is interesting that even though the majority of Americans (>65%) are overweight or obese, we still treat obesity as a social disease, rather than a medical one. Obesity may be the last socially acceptable prejudice and this may be why despite the overwhelming scientific data regarding the benefits of Bariatric/Metabolic surgery, we are still treating less than 1% of those who qualify for surgery.
The success rates of each surgery vary greatly among patients. There is no one best operation for everyone. Each patient is an individual and the decision as to what operation to consider should be made only after understanding the nuances of each procedure, discussing your desire for surgery with your primary doctor and consulting with an appropriately trained surgeon.
Surgery is not the cure for obesity. Treatment requires commitment, follow-up and a team of individuals, such as nutritionists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, internists, nurses, and others in order to be successful.
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