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Weight Loss Surgery Chicago Article
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Types of Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatrics is a branch of medicine that deals with the control and treatment of obesity and allied diseases.
The treatments and surgical procedures have changed and improved in recent years, to the point that diet, exercise and various types of weight loss surgery can be parts of a comprehensive program.
Weight loss surgery is an option for people who are severely obese and cannot lose weight by other methods or for those who have serious obesity-related health problems.
Certain types of weight loss surgery can work for weight loss by restricting food intake. Some procedures actually interrupt the digestive process. In recent years, these types of weight loss surgery have become one part of an overall program that includes learning healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity.
Many weight loss surgical methods in the past have been very complex and invasive, involving isolation of parts of the digestive tract or even more complicated procedures. But new techniques such as lap band surgery have made safe types of weight loss surgery a real possibility.
Candidates for obesity surgery include those who have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 to 40 and a health risk such as type 2 diabetes or severe sleep apnea. Surgical choices include: restrictive surgery that limits food intake; malabsorptive procedures that isolate the small intestine from the digestive tract; and a combination of the two types.
Medical professionals are now advising against using only malabsorptive operations due to the risk of severe nutrition deficiencies.
One of the most popular types of weight loss surgery has been a restrictive surgical procedure. Laparoscopic weight loss surgery is more commonly called "lap band" surgery. (Lap Band is a registered trademark.)
The idea behind the operation is to create a small pouch in the upper part of the stomach, thus limiting food intake. With this procedure a band device is put in place through tiny incisions in the abdomen and is placed around the upper part of the stomach.
Gastric bypass surgery is generally a combination operation. The procedures combine both restrictive and malabsorptive techniques.
Basically, gastric bypass surgery is one of the types of weight loss surgery that create a small stomach pouch to restrict the amount of food you can eat, in addition to constructing a bypass of the duodenum and other parts of the small intestine to cause malabsorption.
Because of the amount of weight (in fat) that is lost, the body may need reconstructive weight loss surgery.
For many who lose significant amounts of weight through diet/exercise or weight loss surgery, this large weight loss in a short time results in large amounts of loose skin. (Skin often does not shrink quickly following surgery.)
Weight loss patients often choose surgery that will help contour the body and restore the image the individual wants to see. As you consider types of weight loss surgery, remember that reconstructive surgery may also be an option.
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