Weight loss surgery: Factor in the side effects before entering the operation theatre

A weight loss surgery is the last option for a morbidly obese person. However, one needs to be aware of the health consequences of this procedure before going in for it.

Editorial Team | Published: June 3, 2019 7:24 pm

Bariatric surgery is a procedure where a surgeon modifies your digestive system to reduce your appetite. ©Shutterstock

A healthy diet coupled with regular workouts is the cornerstone of weight loss. It is the golden rule for maintaining a healthy body weight too. However, these lifestyle measures are not enough for everyone yearning to shed those extra kilos. They need weight loss surgery. It is known as bariatric surgery in the medical fraternity. However, it is not the magic potion for weight loss.

WHO NEEDS WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

The numbers on your Body Mass Index or BMI scale tell you whether your body weight is ideal or not. This is how you can define your body weight in terms of your BMI readings:

Normal: 19–24.9

Overweight: 25–29.9

Obese stage 1: 30–34.9

Morbidly obese: 35–40 or greater

Doctors recommend weight loss surgery for the morbidly obese population only. A morbidly obese person is at a higher risk of developing either co-morbid conditions or those that are responsible for disabilities and death. These potentially fatal or co-morbid conditions include stroke, cardiac ailments, diabetes, and some types of cancer among others.

WHAT IS A WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

Weight loss surgery is a process where a surgeon modifies your digestive system by performing a surgery that reduces your appetite. This paves the way for easy weight loss. There are various types of bariatric surgery: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, Duodenal Switch, Revisional Surgery, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding.

In this surgical procedure, the doctor closes off your stomach. Only a small portion of this organ is left open for food. As a result, the patients feel full with lesser calories. Gastric-bypass surgery involves an additional step. Here, the surgeons connect the small intestine with the part of the stomach left open. This allows your digestive tract to absorb lesser number of nutrients and calories.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Like any other surgery, a weight loss surgery also comes with its own set of risk factors. These are quite serious and have lifetime consequences. That is why doctors consider bariatric surgery as the last option for obese individuals. Here is a low-down on the long-term and short-term risk factors associated with weight loss surgery.

Excessive bleeding

Any major surgery involves the risk of internal bleeding and weight loss surgery is no different. However, it is not common to patients who’ve undergone bariatric surgery. Some estimates reveal that only 1 to 4 per cent of all the patients with this surgery complain about excessive post-operative bleeding.

In a study published in the journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, the researchers revealed that in most of the cases post-operative bleeding is self-limiting. The study accounted for 776 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery. Out of these, 3.3 per cent (26 patients) were diagnosed with early bleeding. The study authors further revealed that 4 individuals were required to be hospitalised under intensive care unit while 8 patients required re-operation. But if the bleeding persists, it can lead to severe health complications and may even result in death. This is a rare occurrence though.

Infection

When you undergo a bariatric surgery, your surgeon connects your stomach to your small intestine. If your surgery hasn’t gone well, the connective pathway can leak causing an infection. This condition may even lead to an abscess, a painful collection of pus. If you experience post-surgery infections, you may need to stay in the hospital for a long period of time. In some cases, a re-operation may be required. According to a study that featured in the Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, the incidence of surgical site infection is 16 per cent in a weight loss surgery.

Nutritional deficiency

This is a long-term consequence which you need to careful about. A successful bariatric surgery narrows down your stomach pouch and helps you to eat less. That is how it promotes weight loss. While reducing your food intake can work wonders in your weight loss mission, it is likely to deplete the levels of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the body.

Several studies suggest that post-surgery, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B, calcium and iron are the most common minerals and vitamins that an individual lacks. That is why a weight loss surgery can give you health complications like anaemia (a blood disorder occurring from lack of iron) and osteoporosis (a bone disorder caused by low calcium). The nutritional deficiency triggered by malabsorption of nutrients can also lead to heart failure and dementia in some cases.

If you have undergone a weight loss surgery, you need to be extremely cautious about what you eat. Consult a trained nutritionist for dietary recommendations.

Blood clots

After the surgery, you are likely to develop blood clots in your legs and lungs. Blood clot formation is a common risk factor associated with any major abdominal surgery. According to a 2017 study published in the journal Obesity Journal, there is a high risk of blood clotting among patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, especially the elderly patients. The study accounted for 396 patients out of which eight patients developed blood clotting problems within 5 months of surgery. That is why surgeons administer blood-thinning shots before starting the operation. Blood thinners are also included in the post-operative line of treatment.

Cardiac problems

If you are someone who has undergone a weight loss surgery, you may experience cardiac problems like a heart attack or arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is a condition where your heart beats either too fast or too slow. Also, if you are someone who isn’t physically active, your risk of developing heart-related problems goes further up. Several studies suggest that heart attack or other cardiac complications are responsible for around one in five deaths after a weight loss surgery. You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience sudden fluctuations in your heart rate.

Published: June 3, 2019 7:24 pm

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