Bariatric Surgery

What is bariatric surgery? This is surgery that treats obesity by modifying the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this modification is to reduce nutrient intake as well as absorption. This is a different type of surgery than liposuction or abdominoplasty, which are other recommended procedures for obese clients. Bariatric surgery actually encompasses several types of surgical procedures that can be performed to manipulate the gastrointestinal tract.

First, there are predominantly malabsorptive procedures, which reduce stomach size and create conditions that lead to malabsorption. Then there is biliopancreatic diversion, which is becoming increasingly rare due to some health risks. In this type of surgery, part of the stomach is resected resulting in a smaller stomach. After recovery, in theory, the patient can eat diet free. In this surgery, the distal part of the small intestine is then connected to the pouch, resulting in malabsorption and nutritional deficiency. Vitamin intake before and after this process is crucial to recovery. Another rarely performed procedure to note is bariatric surgery is jejunoileal bypass.

A far more common type of bariatric surgery is in predominantly restrictive procedures, which simply concentrate on reducing the size of the stomach. Vertical banded gastroplasty also known as stomach stapling, involves permanently stapling part of the stomach in order to create a sort of internal pouch, which actually serves as the "new stomach." An adjustable gastric band essentially does the same thing as the stomach staple but uses a silicone band for the same purpose. This band can be adjusted by the addition or removal of saline through a port. Other types of procedures that could be involved in bariatric surgery include sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch and implantable gastric stimulation.

After receiving bariatric surgery, the patient must pay careful attention to post-operative care. He or she will usually be restricted to a clear liquid diet and eventually work their way up slowly to solid foods. In theory, bariatric surgery lessens the desire to overeat, because of the changed capacity of the stomach. Overeating without sufficient room in the stomach causes nausea and vomiting, which will surely stop a person from continuing to eat. Because recovering clients are now limited in how much they can eat, they must pay closer attention to nutrition and diet to maintain a balance.

If you are interested in bariatric surgery for weight loss, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.