Discover Weight Control Options With Bariatric Surgeons NJ Residents Depend On For Help

By Olive Pate


Severe obesity is not a problem that many individuals have the ability to fix easily with exercise and diet alone. Many people in Ridgewood, NJ have failed to lose their excess weight even after trying intense physical activity and restricted diets. For some individuals, the obesity is triggering other health problems that interfere with quality of life. Anyone in this situation can get help from bariatric surgeons NJ residents can count on for healthy weight loss.

Bariatric surgery requires patients to make a lifelong commitment to changing the way they consume food. Going through with the surgery requires careful consideration because the various procedures alter the body's ability to absorb calories. Stomach and small intestine reconfiguration restricts the amount of food the patient can consume before feeling full.

The four most common surgeries are the gastric bypass, the gastric band, the duodenal switch, and the vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The adjustable gastric band fits over the top portion of the stomach to limit its capacity to hold food. Instead of being able to hold approximately three pints, the stomach can only hold about one ounce. The surgeon can adjust the band as needed by injecting saline.

Another option for creating a smaller pouch is gastric bypass surgery. The surgeon staples together the stomach in a way that makes it smaller. The second step involves moving the location where the stomach empties into the small intestine. This bypasses the duodenum, an area within the intestine that is responsible for calorie absorption. Patients lose weight because they fill up with less food and their bodies absorb fewer calories.

Duodenal switch surgery is more complicated. A portion of the patient's stomach is removed leaving a cylinder between the small intestine and the esophagus. The surgeon cuts only a portion of the duodenum. The surgeon reroutes the small intestine allowing food to pass through only a small portion of it for digestion. This type of surgery results in the most weight loss but it also carries the highest risk of complications. People who undergo this procedure must follow a lifelong regimen of taking mineral and vitamin supplements.

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy reduces stomach size and lowers levels of ghrelin in the patient's circulatory system. Ghrelin is called the hunger hormone because it controls appetite. The surgeon removes large portions of stomach leaving a small cylinder in place between the small intestines and the esophagus.

Regardless of which type of surgery bariatric patients decide to have, they have to commit to making lifestyle changes after the procedure that they must follow forever. Most patients will require lifelong medical follow up for careful monitoring of health. All patients must adapt to eating less food, consuming a nutritious diet, and keeping up with a regular exercise routine to achieve long-term success with their weight loss program. Some will require mineral and vitamin supplements to compensate for the body's inability to absorb nutrients.

Individuals who had obesity related illnesses before the surgery will often see dramatic improvement in health after the procedure. They are at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and severe sleep apnea. Surgery alone does produce short-term weight loss but patients must make healthy lifestyle choices about exercise and diet to enjoy long-term success with this type of weight loss program.




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