Weight-Loss Surgery Life Changes
The Tribune-Democrat, 30th May 2010
Weight-loss surgery changes many people’s lives. They can buy clothes off the rack again, climb stairs, play with their children, lead a normal life.
The statistics are shocking: one in five people are estimated to be morbidly obese. Many of them have found help via weight-loss surgery. As they admit this was something they couldn’t do much about themselves. Having tried other ways, the surgery seemed to be the one that would give the right and long-lasting results.
Many patients try to diet and exercise to lose weight. Those work for some, whereas the others’ weight bounces back. The statistics say there is a 95 failure rate to maintain weight loss for patients with 100 pounds overweight.
Tammy Miller confirms those sad findings. She managed to lose 135 pounds on her own but it came back quickly. She was frustrated and didn’t want to go through the same way again.
Most hospitals accept patients with BMI 0f 40 or 35 and diabetes or other health issues for weight-loss surgery. The surgery is not only a tool to weight loss but also cures or, at least improves, diabetes. Patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes are sent home with no medication after the bariatric surgery. Also other weight-loss procedures cure diabetes within few months due to weight loss.
Apart from weight loss and diabetes also other health conditions such as sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
There is a choice of different weight-loss procedures. This should be chosen accordingly to individual needs. Gastric bypass, gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy are the major ones. They all differ but they all reduce the amount of the calories absorbed by the body. Patients can expect 80% loss of the excess weigth within the first year after the surgery.
The success of the procedure depends on numerous factors: patient’s determination, diet, life-style, post-op support.
