The long-term health benefits after bariatric surgery include improved cardiovascular-related and diabetes-related outcomes
Bariatric surgery is safe, says an evidence-based study at Aastha Health Care. Studies have shown that weight loss surgery is associated with fewer cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, and it has even been suggested that the procedure is linked to improved sex drive in patients.
Obesity has multiple causes right from genetic, hormonal, environmental, etc. Obesity may cause multiple problems ranging from sleep apnoea, hypertension, arthritis, infertility, etc. and can severely damage a person’s quality of life, leaving them immobile and often triggering depression.
The only challenge that comes up is to differentiate scientific and non-scientific treatment options so that the right treatment for the right stage of obesity is started at the right time to prevent complications occurring from obesity.
Dr Manish Motwani, Bariatric Surgeon practicing at ‘Aastha Health Care’, one of the top bariatric surgery centres in Mumbai and India, says, “When the BMI (Body Mass Index) is low, there are multiple options like diet plan, exercise, weight loss pills, lifestyle modification, medications, etc., but once BMI rises, options become limited and the treatment then gets limited to bariatric surgery or metabolic surgery or laparoscopic weight loss surgery.”
Most commonly performed bariatric surgery procedures being gastric band, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and mini gastric bypass. These surgeries are performed laparoscopically through multiports or single incision (SILS). With the increasing incidence of morbid obesity and increasing number of bariatric surgery procedures performed, risks have considerably decreased and results prove that the long-term risks of remaining obese is much greater than the risks of weight loss surgery.
Most reputable health/ governmental organisations recommend bariatric surgery for obese individuals who qualify. The long-term health benefits after bariatric surgery (also referred as surgery for diabetes and obesity) include improved cardiovascular-related and diabetes-related outcomes. These improvements in co morbidities are associated with a decrease in mortality that ranges from 24-40 per cent as compared to patients treated non-surgically. In appropriate patients, the health risks from obesity far outweigh the risks associated with bariatric surgery.
“Bariatric and metabolic surgery is a major decision, and patients need time to consider it and explore their options. However, if a patient waits too long in their disease progression, the benefits from surgery may be impacted,” added Dr Motwani.