In the United States, roughly three out of every five people are considered overweight. That number is only going up. As the nation struggles with a high child obesity rate as well as a growing elderly population that are having weight problems, individuals and doctors alike are looking for new ways to address this serious problem. When traditional diet and exercise no longer seem to work, it becomes time for more serious action.
Weight loss surgery is nothing new. Having been around and performed for decades, removing excess fat can help people take the weight off and allow their joints, muscles, and body some time to recover. While beginning in a relatively primitive manner, weight loss surgery has advanced over the years, addressing the causes of being overweight as well as the excess fat.
Bariatric Sleeve Surgery, also known as vertical sleeve gastrostomy, is a means of dealing with weight problems by surgically altering the shape of the stomach. By making the stomach resemble a tube instead of its original shape, your body will digest less calories when you eat, making it easier to lose weight and work towards being healthy. With this in mind, lets review the pros and cons associated with this life altering procedure.
The Pros of Bariatric Sleeve Surgery
1. An Effective Long-Term Weight-Loss Tool.
Losing weight is all about assembling a tool set that you can use to shed the pounds and be healthy. For many people, weight gain is too easy, and more powerful tools then just diet and exercise are required. With bariatric sleeve surgery, the nature of how your body processes food changes. This makes it significantly easier for people to lose the weight once and for all while establishing the health habits that will see them healthy for years to come.
2. Can Help You Lose Weight When Nothing Else Works.
Sometimes, biology stacks against us. Whether we have a glandular problem or other cause of excessive weight gain, living life can be stigmatizing in a society that is very judgmental when it comes to appearance. This surgical option offers a powerful tool that may be some people’s only hope to losing weight. Despite the risks associated with the procedure, if this is your only option, then it is better then nothing.
3. Can Save You Big In Terms of Future Expenses.
Being overweight adds significantly to the costs you will pay later on in life. If you factor in the costs of the surgery now, and compare that to decades of large bills and potentially side effects like diabetes, then the procedure can pay for itself.
The Cons of Bariatric Sleeve Surgery
1. Complex and Time Consuming Preparation.
No matter how often it is done or how safe people say it is, bariatric sleeve surgery is still surgery. With that being said, it requires an investment of time on your part before the surgery in order to prepare yourself. What you will have to do depends on the recommendations of your doctor and it may impact your life adversely prior to the surgery.
2. Recovery Time.
Say goodbye to your normal diet. After this procedure, you are looking at a very special diet that you will have to consume as recommended by your doctor. Breaking from this diet can cause a wide range of side effects to occur, most of them extremely unpleasant. In addition, to having to carefully watch what you eat, you also have to allow your body to physically recover from the operation. Depending on your recovery time, this may mean weeks, if not months, of recovery time.
3. Side Effects After Surgery.
Because this surgery changes the shape of your stomach, you will process food in an all-new way. This will take some time to get used to, and it is not uncommon to feel body aches, feeling tired like you have the flu, feeling cold, dry skin, hair thinning, hair loss, and mood changes. While hoping for the best, be sure to plan for the worst just in case.
4. Still Requires a Lifestyle Change.
While bariatric sleeve surgery is a powerful tool for weight loss, it does not mean that you have a free pass to eat whatever you want. Now you will have to be more careful about your nutrition as your body will be less good at absorbing the things you need. Dieting and exercise will still be important parts of living healthy.
5. Small Chance of Serious Health Risks or No Weight Loss.
As with any surgical procedure, a certain amount of risk exists that is associated with serious health complications. In addition, if something happens to the band used to change the shape of the stomach, then you may notice no effects of weight loss.