Surgery can help you lose weight by reducing the amount of food you can eat (restriction), interfering with food intake (malabsorption) and / or reducing hunger hormones.
Weight loss surgery is generally only recommended if you have a very high body mass index (BMI) and have tried other methods of weight loss. Or if you have a condition that makes weight loss essential to your health.
To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in square meters. [Mass (kg) / height (m) 2]. You can use the Australian Heart Foundation IMC calculator to solve it.
Most weight loss surgeries are performed as locks with general anesthesia. Sometimes, surgeons have to go to an open procedure if they have problems.
HCF members may request certain procedures, depending on the procedure and their level of coverage.
The main types of weight loss surgery are:
Adjustable gastric ring
An inflatable band is placed around the upper part of your stomach, creating a small stomach pocket on top of the band, the rest of your stomach sitting under the band.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Your surgeon connects a small part of your stomach directly to a part of your small intestine, so that food overlooks most of your stomach and the upper part of your small intestine.
BPD / DS gastric bypass
BPD / DS means biliopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch. It is a two part procedure. The first is to remove a large part of your stomach and the second is to avoid a part of your small intestine. Learn more about BPD / DS
Gastric sleeve surgery.
Gastric sleeve surgery, also called "sleeve gastrectomy," involves taking about 80-90% of the stomach, leaving a small tubular pocket.
Gastric plication
With this operation, your surgeon creates large folds in the outer wall of your stomach. The folds reduce the size of your stomach by approximately 75%. Learn more about gastric plication
What is the best procedure for me?
What is right for you depends on many factors, including the excess weight you need to lose, the speed with which you should lose it and all your other medical conditions. Your surgeon's skills and experience with the procedure are also important.
If you have type 2 diabetes or hypertension, the slower weight loss caused by the gastric band may be less effective in reducing or canceling it than other more complex surgeries. But the recovery time of gastric rings is shorter and the procedure is easily reversible.
If you have a very high BMI, a poor absorption procedure is more likely to cause you to lose more weight than a restrictive procedure alone.
For all procedures, you should consider the need for permanent changes in what you can and should eat. You will also need regular follow-up visits with your doctor and dietitian to verify your progress.
Ask your surgeon about the results and risks associated with your procedure. Also inform yourself about your own patient satisfaction rates and the complication rate of the procedures you performed.
