Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery is a surgery that helps severely overweight people permanently lose weight. There are several types of bariatric surgery, but all of these surgeries help reduce your appetite by making your stomach smaller.
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Weight loss surgery does not just treat the disease of obesity, but it treats other conditions like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and acid reflux. In addition, surgery greatly reduces the risk of death from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.
Reduce Weight-Related Medical Problems
Studies show that bariatric procedures can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of obesity-related conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Lower Your Chances of Heart Disease, Stroke, & Cancer
Bariatric procedures can also lower your chances of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Among patients who had bariatric surgery:
- Heart-related health problems dropped by 56 percent
- Diabetes-related health problems went down by 92 percent
- Cancer deaths decreased by 60 percent
- Mortality (rates of death from obesity) went down by 40 percent*
*Adams, NEJM, 2007
*1998 NIH Clinical Guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults
What Is Obesity?
Obesity is a condition where you have too much body fat for your height. Doctors measure obesity by calculating body mass index or BMI. BMI estimates the amount of fat you carry in relation to your height. However, obesity is not the same as being overweight (when your weight is more than a healthy level for your height). Doctors use BMI to determine if patients are candidates for bariatric surgery. Learn more about Obesity.
Why Surgery?
Many patients with obesity have tried to treat this independently, with diet and exercise. Many have had some success, only to have weight regain. More often, patients have little to no success with diet and exercise alone. This is not a result of a lack of willpower or the wrong diet. When a patient has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35, their chances of reaching an average body weight for a lasting period is less than 1%. That’s why surgery is an option for patients with severe obesity. Unfortunately, many patients who could benefit from surgery don’t know if surgery is right for them. Only about 1% of people who qualify actually get surgery in any given year. Who Is A Candidate For Weight Loss Surgery?
How Does Bariatric Surgery Work?
Bariatric surgery is a surgery that helps severely overweight people permanently lose weight. There are several types of bariatric surgery, but all of these surgeries help reduce your appetite by making your stomach smaller.
Some people who are only moderately overweight may think that bariatric surgery is a treatment option. But bariatric surgery is only a treatment for people who are morbidly obese.
Long Term Weight Loss
Around 90% of patients lose 50% of excess body weight after bariatric surgery and keep this extra weight off long-term.
When patients lose weight after surgery, they also feel more energetic, less pain, and more enthusiastic about doing things they have not done in years. The significant and rapid weight loss after surgery can lead to changes in hormones and lead to even more weight loss. Staying consistent with an exercise routine can improve weight loss and stability after surgery.
What Can I Expect After Bariatric Surgery?
After your surgery, you’ll be restricted to liquids for a few days as your digestive system heals. Following the liquid diet phase, you can start eating pureed foods, then soft foods, until your stomach can handle regular, solid foods. We will discuss diet-related expectations with you in greater detail. That way, you understand what you can and cannot eat during the days and weeks after your surgery.
Why Choose Lompoc Valley Medical Center?
As a patient of Lompoc Health, you also have access to specialists and experts in all areas of medicine. We are committed to quality and excellent outcomes for our patients, as well as long-term follow-up after your bariatric surgery.
We also offer these programs to our patients:
- We treat our patients with a comprehensive team of highly trained experts in bariatric surgery, nutrition, and exercise physiology.
- We offer complete pre and post-surgical diagnostic testing, including endoscopy, lab work, and x-rays, if needed.
- We offer lifelong access to the invaluable monthly bariatric support group with other pre and post-surgical patients.
If you are concerned about your quality of life and health, you may qualify for bariatric surgery.
Learn more about if you may be eligible for bariatric surgery.
