Why Getting A Gastric Bypass Surgery Can Save Your Life

By Karen Stewart


Usually regarded as a last option, the many benefits in turning to surgical intervention for severe cases of obesity are seemingly worth it. Multiple health hazards that come with obesity and it is not just the force of gravity that legs and feet will not be able to carry. While there are many ways to go about this, the main goal is to make sure the patient will be able to live a healthier life.

There are many forms of GBP surgery. New York considers morbid obesity as an epidemic given that 25 to 29 percent of adults are obese in the state. Considering the population New York has, this makes up for a lot of people. This makes gastric bypass surgery, GBP, a popular option.

A GBP operation is essentially dividing the stomach into two parts, the small pouch and the large pouch. The intestine is then set to connect to the larger stomach pouch. This is how the volume of the stomach is reduced altering its ability to process food at lower volumes. This results to a drastic change in how the body responses to food.

The more obvious change is how the procedure takes away a huge amount of body fat. Other benefits include relief from obesity related diseases that the patient may have like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea. The likelihood of eradicating these other related illnesses can go up to 70 percent.

All types of surgeries have a risk factor, but with GBP, the benefits outweigh them with a mortality rate of 89 percent. Most patients can go as far as living beyond 5 years even after the operation. While an open surgery can cause fatal complications, minimal invasive procedures like laparoscopy is available to encourage faster recovery.

The mortality rate for this operation can be compared to the 3 out of a thousand rate of deaths that can happen with gall bladder removal. With a so many benefits, there has to be a catch. The sudden change can cause side effects such as nutrient deficiency and an adjustment period to the emotional withdrawal from the relationship the patient has with food.

Complications only range at about 7 to 14 percent depending on the method of surgery. Living life after a GBP can have an emotional and physiological impact since there is a change in the role of food in their emotional well being. The energy of the patient can be generally low post operation due to some restrictions.

Eating habits change post surgery and strictly follow guidelines from the surgeon. The food the patient is reduced, due to the smaller size stomach pouch they have. Calcium, iron and protein supplements are prescribed along with multivitamins and vitamin B12 supplements. Acid producing cells may also increase which lets some doctors give medication to lower the production.

Major operations like the GBP is a life changing procedure. On the bright side, it definitely cures morbid obesity and gives the person another chance to live an active lifestyle allowing them to participate in daily activities better. Their dependence on food will also be cut down to a healthier amount.




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