Bariatric surgery, also commonly known as weight loss surgery, can be done for obese individuals who want to reduce their weight and want to live healthier and more active lives.
With bariatric surgery, depending on their unique circumstances, a patient could have their stomach reduced (gastric sleeve surgery) or a large portion of it bypassed by rerouting their small intestine to a stomach pouch. The cost of Bariatric Surgery is reasonable, combined with high quality at Sitaram Bhartia Hospital.
According to Dr. A.K. Kriplani, Senior Consultant, General Surgery & Bariatric Surgeon at Sitaram Bhartia, the primary purpose of bariatric surgery is to reduce the weight of the patient and thereby improve comorbidities. “To be considered for bariatric surgery, you should be 35-40 kgs overweight, or in other words a BMI of over 37.5 or higher if you don’t have diabetes. If you do have diabetes, we will consider you at a BMI of 32.5” he says. “This is not a purely cosmetic procedure. Patients who are morbidly obese stand to gain a lot of benefits once this is done.”
Morbid obesity, which is a lifestyle disease, is often accompanied by additional health complications in the patient. “We see increased instances of diseases like diabetes, hypertension,backache, arthritis, breathlessness when walking and sleep apnea in patients who are morbidly obese” says Dr. Kriplani. “The weight loss that happens as a consequence of the surgery is also instrumental in resolving these issues in nearly 80% of the patients.”
Diabetes is perhaps one of the more important diseases to be resolved with a bariatric surgery because it is already associated with nearly 25% of morbidly obese patients. “Several medical studies indicate that approximately 50% of patients who continue with the same dose of diabetic medication will fail in sugar control” Dr. Kriplani explains. “That’s why this surgery is so important for the right candidate.”
After the surgery, patients stay on in the hospital for a 3-day recovery period, after which they must follow lifestyle change in order to keep losing their weight. These lifestyle changes include guidelines for diet and nutrition along with exercise. “We don’t do bariatric surgery just because someone wants it” reminds Dr. Kriplani. “Once you meet the requirements of surgery and have been through the procedure, you must remain committed to your goal.”
You should speak to your doctor in case you have any specific concerns about bariatric surgery. Or leave a comment for us below and we will get back to you.