Deciding to have bariatric or weight loss surgery is a huge decision. There are several different procedures you can have done, 3 of the most common being (click on each to learn more about them):
- Gastric banding (lap band): Reduced the size of the stomach with an implanted adjustable band.
- Gastric sleeve: Irreversible reduction of stomach size by removing of up to 85% of the stomach.
- Gastric bypass surgery: Resecting and re-routing the small intestine to a smaller stomach pouch.
Which is best for you depends on your goals, your health, your surgeon’s recommendation, and if you can afford the surgery or if it’s covered by your health insurance. Talk it over with your doctor / surgeon so you can make an informed decision. Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. In general, it is only recommended for those who:
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more
- Have a lower BMI than 40 (but are still overweight) and have serious health problems related to weight such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes
- Have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight by other means multiple times
- Fully understand the risks.
Speak to a surgeon to see if weight loss surgery is the right choice for you. If you are currently looking for a bariatric surgeon, visit the website of General Upper & Lower GI surgeon Dr Govind Krishna.
It’s important to consider all the facts and determine if weight loss surgery is really for you. Often people think that having weight loss surgery is the easy way out but it really isn’t. It’s important to realise that while the surgery helps with appetite and the amount of food your are able to consume; to be truly successful you will still need to make permanent healthy dietary and lifestyle changes. These are essential to ensure you lose weight in a healthy way, continue to lose weight, learn how to maintain weight once it’s been lost and to lead a healthy life.
Seeing a dietitian who specialises in pre and post bariatric surgery nutrition and weight loss is essential to long term success. Gloria is experienced working with clients pre and post bariatric surgery and can help you lose weight healthily. Click here to make an enquiry.