Obesity and overweight affect millions worldwide. According to Statista, around 2 billion adults globally are currently overweight.
Lifestyle factors, such as poor dietary choices, account for the vast majority of obesity and overweight cases. Therefore, it’s understandable why diet change is usually the first port of call for obese and overweight people.
However, reverting to a healthy diet alone isn’t always effective when seeking to shed a few extra pounds. That’s significant if the weight condition has already escalated beyond manageable levels.
Surgery may be the best route for people with severe obesity and overweight. The good news is that there are numerous options to consider. This article highlights the top seven weight loss surgeries and what each type entails.
Categories of Weight Loss Surgeries
Weight loss surgeries fall into three main categories, as discussed below;
Restrictive Surgeries
Stomach capacity determines the food quantity a person can consume in one sitting. A large stomach volume translates to a high food intake and vice versa.
Now, restrictive surgeries seek to diminish the stomach size to reduce meal portions and potentially mitigate weight gain caused by high food intake. These surgeries may also slow down digestion by affecting metabolic rate.
Most people have a stomach capacity of about 3 pints of food. But depending on the nature and intensity of the restrictive surgery undergone, the stomach size may reduce to as little as one ounce.
Malabsorptive Surgeries
Malabsorptive surgeries affect how you consume food. These surgical interventions may shrink your stomach volume in addition to removing or bypassing part of your digestive tract. This reduces your body’s ability to absorb fats and calories.
However, malabsorptive surgeries are notorious for inducing severe adverse effects. That explains why many doctors today prefer alternative weight loss surgeries.
Implant-based Surgeries
Implanting certain electrical devices may also help trigger weight loss. These devices mainly interrupt nerve signals from the stomach to the brain.
For instance, the hormone ghrelin is associated with hunger sensations. The brain usually increases the body’s sensitivity to ghrelin as a reminder that the stomach needs replenishing.
Many implants can disrupt ghrelin signaling. These devices prolong the period during which hunger pangs set in after the stomach empties.
7 Types of Weight Loss Surgeries
1. Gastric Sleeve
A gastric sleeve weight loss surgery involves the removal of a large segment of the stomach via a small incision. It’s a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure that mainly seeks to remove the stomach sections that secrete hunger-inducing hormones. The net results include diminished appetite and hunger pangs.
Gastric sleeve operations are recommended for people with severe obesity or a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more. It’s also ideal for patients with severe obesity for at least five years. A gastric sleeve can result in up to 50% weight loss within 6 – 12 months if properly executed.
2. Gastric Banding
Gastric banding shares one fundamental trait with gastric sleeves – both target people with a BMI of 35 or more. However, this particular procedure is even less invasive.
As the name implies, gastric banding involves the placement of a band around the stomach surface. The band reduces the stomach capacity, thereby limiting food intake.
3. Gastric Bypass
Technically known as Roux-en-Y, gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss procedure whereby surgeons reduce the stomach pouch size by rerouting the intestines. This operation primarily aims at slowing down the absorption of fats and calories.
A gastric bypass is a rapid weight loss surgery. The procedure has also proven useful for patients with various chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and sleep apnea.
4. Gastric Bypass Revision
A gastric bypass revision is a surgical operation administered to former patients who regained weight. The procedure may also be administered to patients who didn’t lose significant weight after the initial gastric bypass.
5. Biliopancreatic Diversion
A biliopancreatic diversion is a drastic form of gastric bypass that involves the removal of up to 70% of the stomach and bypassing even more of the ileum.
Expectedly, a biliopancreatic diversion can produce greater weight loss benefits than a normal gastric bypass. However, there are equally higher risks of complications.
6. Gastric Balloon
In a gastric balloon, surgeons place a deflated balloon in the stomach through the mouth. A saline solution is added to the balloon to provide a false sense of fullness.
Although reasonably effective, intragastric balloon surgery is unideal for people with other weight loss surgeries. It’s also unsuitable for people with liver failure or bowel disease.
7. Vagal Blockade
Vagal Blockade or vBloc is a weight loss procedure that entails the implantation of a pacemaker-like device known as the vagal blockage under the rib cage. This device interrupts the transmission of electrical impulses to the vagus nerve, which signals the brain when the stomach is empty.
A vagal blockage is among the least invasive weight loss procedures. The device is manually operated by battery-powered remote controls that are adjustable outside the body.
Summary
When it comes to weight loss surgeries, there are numerous options to experiment with. However, remember that preventing weight gain is more accessible than losing weight. Therefore, endeavor to practice healthy lifestyle habits to avoid packing up extra weight in the first place. These mainly include mindful dieting and regular workouts.
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