Weight loss surgery is becoming increasingly popular in this country, as a tool in treating obesity. This surgery is considered Major surgery and a lifelong decision that should not be undertaken lightly. The surgery will create a permanent change to your life, you’re eating habits and have an effect on the decisions you make about food, for the rest of your life. The surgery is both physically demanding and can have a big emotional impact on you, both pre and post op, and the more information you can find out about it, the better. No weight loss surgery patient can be prepared enough. An educated patient is an informed patient, who will be able to make an educated choice about the type of surgery that is on offer, and whether it is right for you or not.
If you have made the decision to go ahead with the surgery, then you have taken the biggest step towards improving both your health and your life span. There are many problems associated with Morbid Obesity that you may already be experiencing. The benefits of Weight loss surgery far outweigh the risks of the operation as your surgeon will probably tell you. This type of surgery has been carried out for many years, and the technique has been refined and adjusted by many surgeons around the world, to their own specifications. This is why both the pre op diet and the aftercare seem to vary so much around the country. It is of VITAL importance however, that you follow the rules given to you by your Bariatric team, and not stray from them. Any deviation can have serious consequences on your health and well being, and will also have an impact on how effective your surgery will be in terms of your weight loss. It is generally expected that a Gastric Bypass patient can lose up to an average of 80% of their excess body weight. This will vary in each individual, and will be affected by the lifelong choices you make. There are a small percentage of patients who will regain as much as 20% or more of this lost weight, over a period of time. This is where you must consult with your GP/Dietician and other members of your Bariatric team, to ensure that you give the best of yourself to your new lifestyle and try to avoid breaking back into old habits and stretching your newly created pouch.
You will often hear the word TOOL used in weight loss surgery conversations, and that is exactly what the operation is considered to be. It is a TOOL to help you lose weight and regain control over your eating habits, but like all tools, can be misused and not used to its advantage. If you follow the correct guidelines and do what is required of you, then weight loss surgery can change your life beyond doubt, and give you the freedom to live a long and fulfilled life, but should you chose to ignore advice, you will be making a conscious decision to put your life at risk and jeopardise the chance you have been given of a new life. There are thousands of people that are turned down by their PCT’s (primary care trusts) every year, who will simply not fund weight loss surgery, so for those people there is no help. If you are one of the lucky ones, that are offered the help to get your life back, then you should grab it with both hands, and be thankful that for you there is an end in sight to the pain and suffering caused by your obesity, and not just taken for granted.