Weight-Loss Surgery Confidence
Tampabay.com, 31st January 2010
More and more people undergo weight-loss surgery each year. There are ongoing researches that aim to find out if those procedures are safe and if they really work.
Medical community is very optimistic about the future of the weight-loss operations. Modern surgeries show improved outcomes and lower complications.
These procedures are highly recommended by many medical bodies, including American Society for Nutrition and the Obesity Society. Bariatric surgery was even called “the most effective weight-loss therapy for obesity”. American Diabetes Association recommended bariatric surgery as a treatment option, for the first time last year.
The surgeons highlight, though, that weight-loss procedure is not a magic tool that will cure the obesity epidemic.
Patients have got a choice between a few procedures, depending on their individual needs. Most of them choose a gastric bypass or gastric banding. The first surgery consists on cutting and stapling the stomach, whereas the second one places an adjustable silicone ring around the top portion of the stomach. In both operations a smaller stomach is produced, in order to allow only small portions of food to be taken in.
Even though weight-loss surgery is quite common nowadays, it wasn’t always the case. The first operation took place in 1960 but even 30 years later it was still relatively uncommon.
One of the factors that helped was that the procedures became shorter, safer and less invasive. Then, studies showed how good the results were, that the surgery helped eliminate even chronic diseases associated with obesity.
The most recent studies showed also lower complication rates and shorter hospital stays.
