Many people automatically think of liposuction when weight loss surgery is mentioned. Weight loss procedures are, however, quite diverse and have varying levels of invasiveness and effectiveness.
No surgery should be taken lightly. Always consult with general practitioners as well as cosmetic surgeons before going through with a procedure, and remember that happiness often comes from within.
To cut through some of the confusion surrounding weight loss surgery, we have listed some of the most common procedures practiced today.
Revisional Bariatric Surgery
If you have already had a weight loss procedure, you may find that it needs adjustment, removal or minute revision in order to stay healthy. All operations carry the risk of being unsuccessful, and revisional surgery is a kind of procedure that aims to right any wrongs.
Some surgeons specialize in offering revisional surgery, even if the initial work was done by somebody else. It is worth consulting a doctor via email or through their website to see if they specialize in fixing your issue. Sites like OldeDelMarSurgical.com offer online consultation.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is one of the more invasive, but effective kinds of weight loss procedures. Surgical staples are used to connect the top of your stomach directly to your small intestine – cutting out a great deal of space.
This means that you are more likely to feel full after eating a small amount of food, which has the knock on effect of helping you to eat less overall. This is serious surgery, and is typically only recommended for people who are at risk of failing health if they continue to put on weight.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Instead of creating a bypass from the stomach to the small intestine, a large section of the stomach is simply removed during gastric sleeve surgery. This has a similar effect to bypass surgery – the appetite is made smaller because of the reduction in stomach space.
This surgery cannot be reversed, and will affect your appetite for the rest of your life.
Lap Band Surgery
A lab band or gastric band is an artificial device that is secured around the top of your stomach, creating a small pouch that requires very little food to fill.
This kind of surgery has the benefit of being potentially temporary. The band can also be tightened or loosened using saltwater injections. This is usually done several times after the surgery until the patient has the correct tightness. As the surgery does not involve the removal or bypass of any tissue it is less invasive than other procedures.
Liposuction
Liposuction is the second most common cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States after breast augmentation. It is often misunderstood as being a weight loss solution, and it arguably does more damage than good to people who require a change in lifestyle in order to permanently loose weight.
During the procedure, stubborn pockets of fat are literally sucked out of the body. There is no evidence that liposuction aids in the loss of weight over a lifetime – it is generally considered to be a temporary solution.
