| Dr. Jon Gould 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. What are the long-term benefits of bariatric surgery?
A. Bariatric surgery has significant long-term benefits. There are literally dozens of severe medical conditions caused by obesity. These include diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, GERD, stroke, and even many types of cancer. Significant weight loss following bariatric surgery consistently leads to dramatic improvement and even the amelioration of many of these conditions. Diabetes is a great example. About 90% of patients with type II diabetes are cured following gastric bypass.
The natural history of obesity is reversed following bariatric surgery. Patients who are at high risk for many of the above conditions are much less likely to develop these conditions later in life following bariatric surgery. As a consequence, patients live longer following bariatric surgery than they would have without surgery.
Obesity can significantly impair a persons day-to-day quality of life. It is difficult to get around, to do many things that obese people would enjoy doing but are unable to due to physical limitations. Studies have demonstrated that getting rid of obesity leads to a significantly improved quality of life.
Q. What is the vertical banded gastroplasty procedure?
A. The VBG is an older bariatric procedure that has been replaced in modern practice by the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. The VBG is basically a restrictive procedure where the amount of food a person can eat at any one time is limited. The gastric band accomplishes the same thing with less morbidity (fewer complications) and the amount of restriction is easily tailored to the individual patient's needs (where as in the VBG it is not).
Q. What is the Cost of Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery?
A. Depends on the procedure, the program, and what is included in the package. If a patient must pay out of pocket for surgery the total costs (pre-op, operative, post-op care) for an adjustable gastric band is around $15,000-20,000. For a gastric bypass it may be closer to $25,000.
Q. Will there be any adverse side effects after surgery?
A. For the gastric band, side effects can include discomfort and vomiting if a patient eats too much or too fast. Gastric bands can also slip causing more severe symptoms and requiring corrective surgery.
For a gastric bypass, side effects include vitamin deficiencies (rare if proper nutritional supplements are routinely taken), vomiting, and complications such as leak, bowel obstruction and others.
Many patients who lose a lot of weight following bariatric surgery find that they have a lot of excess loose skin. Many patients opt to have body contouring surgery to address this excess skin.
Q. Who are the best candidates for Bariatric Surgery?
A. The National Institute of Health has established criteria which most US programs follow.
1. Body Mass Index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2. 2. Co-morbid health conditions related to obesity. 3. Significant motivation and desire to lose weight and make the life style changes necessary to succeed.
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