Bariatric surgery refers to a surgery performed to initiate weight loss by altering a person’s digestive system. This in turn drastically reduces the amount of food that can be eaten at any given time, and weight loss is achieved via calorie restriction.

Bariatric surgery is usually more of a last resort type of treatment for weight loss, and it is only used when other methods have been proven unsuccessful. In most cases, doctors would prefer a patient to lose the weight the old fashioned way by modifying eating habits and burning off calories through exercise, but sometimes this isn’t possible. If someone is overweight to the point that his or her life may be in danger if weight isn’t lost quickly, bariatric surgery is often the answer. Bariatric surgery may also be prescribed if conditions such as high blood pressure or sleep apnea have begun to interfere with the quality of life and the patient hasn’t been able to lose the weight on his or her own.

One common form of bariatric surgery is known gastric bypass surgery. A couple of different gastric bypass surgeries may be performed, but the most common consists of having a portion of your stomach stapled to create a tiny, walnut-sized pouch. After that, a portion of your small intestine is made into the shape of a ‘Y’, which is then attached directly to the newly formed stomach pouch. Once everything is completed, the food you eat will bypass most of your stomach when you eat it, as well as certain portions of your small intestine that are responsible for absorbing calories and nutrients. Gastric bypass surgery is not reversible once it has been performed. It may be performed as a laparoscopic procedure, but more often it is a typical, invasive style surgery. Rapid weight loss is typically the result of this form of bariatric surgery.

The other most common form of bariatric surgery is known as gastric banding, or adjustable gastric banding. Gastric banding is known as a restrictive form of bariatric surgery because it actually reduces the size of your stomach. With gastric banding, the surgeon slides a flexible band around the top portion of your stomach, which is tightened to divide the stomach into two sections. The upper section is smaller than the bottom, and there is a narrow little opening between the two.

The band helps to restrict the amount of food that can enter the stomach at any one time, plus it slows the digestion of the food to reduce hunger. Gastric banding is generally performed as a laparoscopic procedure, which helps reduce the recovery time and minimize scarring. Rapid weight loss is usually the result of this type of bariatric surgery, but unlike a gastric bypass, it is reversible. Your surgeon may also adjust the band if he finds you are losing weight too quickly or too slowly. With either form of bariatric surgery, you are physically forced to restrict your food intake or you will literally be sick and vomit. This enables the substantial calorie reduction necessary to lose weight quickly.

Find out about type 2 Diabetes weight loss, and see if the safest, least-invasive weight loss procedures are right for you.

Find out about weight loss surgery, and see if the safest, least-invasive weight loss procedures are right for you.
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Author Bio: Find out about type 2 Diabetes weight loss, and see if the safest, least-invasive weight loss procedures are right for you.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: lap band,gastric band,surgery,weight loss,diabetes,obesity,treatment,medical,health,fitness