By Sundae Adkins, Midland Health
Weight loss surgery is a life-changing -- and potentially
life-saving -- procedure that helps you lose a significant amount of
weight by reducing the size of your stomach and reducing your food
intake.
Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve are the two of the most
recognizable names in weight-loss surgery.
Weight loss surgeries have been on the rise in recent years
as more people struggling with morbid obesity commit themselves to
improving their health. However, there remains a significant number of
the morbidly obese population who are unwilling to consider treatment
for a variety of reasons. Many people have negative misconceptions about
weight-loss surgery that keep them from choosing the procedure.
With that in mind, here are seven weight-loss surgery myths that you should ignore:
-- Myth: You will regain most if not all of your lost weight.
Although some weight-loss surgery patients regain weight,
it’s not the norm. Up to 50 percent of bariatric surgery patients may
regain weight, but it usually only amounts to 5 percent of the weight
lost, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric
Surgery. This is because most patients embrace the life-changing effects
of weight-loss surgery by improving their diet and lifestyle habits.
-- Myth: Weight-loss surgery prevents you from regaining weight.
Weight-loss surgery is not a magic bullet. In order to get
the full effects of treatment, it’s essential that you adopt a change in
lifestyle and diet that helps to support healthy weight management.
Your surgeon may recommend a nutritionist or lifestyle
coach who can help you to make the necessary adjustments. But you have a
great deal of responsibility when it comes to making the treatment
successful. The good news is, the vast majority of bariatric surgery
patients do just that. So if you’re like most patients, you should be
able to shed the weight and keep it off for life.
-- Myth: Your insurance will not cover weight loss surgery.
Although insurance coverage varies by state and provider,
many companies now offer public and private options for weight-loss
surgery deemed “medically necessary.” Insurance companies may cover
upward of 80 percent of what is deemed “customary and usual” fees
associated with your surgery.
Medicare also affords coverage to certain approved
individuals for specific surgeries: Roux-en-Y bypass and sleeve
gastrectomy. If you are considering weight- loss surgery, the best thing
to do is speak with your insurance provider to evaluate your coverage
options.
-- Myth: You will be unable to have children after weight-loss surgery.
It’s not advisable to get pregnant immediately after
weight-loss surgery, but it’s simply not true that you will be unable to
have children. It’s inadvisable to get pregnant immediately for a
number of reasons, starting with the fact that your weight should
stabilize first. Also, your surgery will cause hormonal changes and
nutritional imbalances initially, as you adapt to the changes. On
average, patients are advised to wait two years before getting pregnant.
-- Myth: Alcoholism is a common side effect of weight-loss surgery.
After weight-loss surgery you will be more sensitive to the
effects of alcohol (in part due to the rapid weight loss), meaning that
your previous drinking habits may cause you to become more inebriated
than before. But it’s not true that alcoholism is in any way linked with
weight-loss surgery itself.
Only a “small percentage” of bariatric
surgery patients have a problem with alcohol after surgery, according to
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. And in most
cases, the problem existed before the surgery
-- Myth: Weight-loss surgery is nothing more than a cop-out for people who are too lazy to diet and exercise.
Contrary to popular belief, diet and exercise isn’t the
best weight-loss solution for everyone. A National Institutes of Health
panel actually states that long-term, sustained weight loss for people
who are severely obese is only achievable through a weight-loss
procedure. That’s not to say that diet and exercise won’t benefit
someone who is severely obese, or that they won’t be able to lose
weight. But in order to shed the necessary amount of weight to make a
life-changing, healthful impact, bariatric surgery may be the best
option.
-- Myth: The risks of weight-loss surgery outweigh the risks of obesity.
Utterly false. Obesity is a disease linked with a number of
serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes,
high blood pressure and cancer. The National Institutes of Health list
obesity as the second leading cause of preventable death in the United
States.
Weight loss surgery on the other hand is an incredibly safe
procedure. Studies have shown that bariatric surgery patients are able
to reduce their mortality rate by up to 89 percent compared with
severely obese people who avoid treatment.
It is best to consult a surgeon who specializes in
bariatric surgery to determine your options for treatment. If you are
significantly overweight and you have been unable to achieve or maintain
a healthy weight with diet and exercise, or if your weight is causing
medical problems, you may be a candidate for weight-loss surgery.
Dr. Van Husen of Midland Surgical Associates is an
experienced bariatric surgeon at Midland Memorial Hospital. The Weigh to
Success Bariatric Program can help you take control of obesity and your
life.
Our highly trained team is committed to providing the
highest level of patient care every step of the way. If you have tried
non-surgical weight-loss therapies without success, weight-loss surgery
may be your solution. Studies demonstrate that weight-loss surgery
yields the longest period of sustained weight loss in patients who have
failed other non-surgical therapies. For best results, we have found
patients need to actively participate in a multi-disciplinary
weight-loss program, which includes nutritional, emotional and exercise
counseling.
Weigh to Success at Midland Memorial Hospital provides a
team approach to helping you reach your weight -loss goals. We provide
you with the education and lifelong support through our comprehensive
program so that you will be successful. Your education class will teach
you what you need to know before surgery, what to expect while in the
hospital and how to take care of yourself when you are discharged .
If you are ready to start losing weight and get healthy contact me at 638-8081 or sundae.adkins@midland-memorial.com.
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