The word ‘bariatric’ stems from the Greek ‘baros’, which means ‘weight’, and ‘iatrikos’, which means ‘the art of healing’. It is one of the quickest growing types of surgery in the modern world and it shows no signs of stopping. It is a true reflection of how bad the obesity epidemic has become as well. Because this is also nothing new, scientists have been studying and improving bariatric procedures for nearly half a century. Some procedures that were used at first now aren’t used anymore (like the small bowel bypass or stomach stapling). Instead, two common procedures still remain, and more new ones are being added. Let’s take a look.
The Gastric Bypass
The first gastric bypass was delivered around 35 years ago and continues to be used today. The problem with it is that it is very invasive, with around 50% of people having to have full open surgery to have it completed. The other half now uses a laparoscopic procedure, which is much safer overall. Different surgeons perform the operation in different ways, but the eventual result is the same: the upper stomach is made smaller in size, forcing people to only be able to eat small portions. They also make sure that food empties slower, so that people feel full for longer.
With a gastric bypass, the stomach is effectively cut into two pieces. The bottom part is completely closed and doesn’t get used anymore, and the top piece becomes the new stomach. The new stomach is then attached to the small intestine, usually lower down than before, which keeps the nutrients in the stomach for longer.
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most commonly used procedure in this category. This is because it can be done laparoscopically, significantly lowering the mortality rate of the procedure. Additionally, success rates are very high. The sleeve gastrectomy is also gaining in popularity, but a lot of research still has to be done into it, as it is not clear yet what its long term results (five years plus) will be.
The Lap Band
The second most popular type of gastric surgery is the lap band. This first became available during the 1990s and is a gentle and safe method of achieving similar, albeit slower, results. The lap band is almost exclusively done through a laparoscopic procedure, which increases its safety, lowers the chances of complications, and reduces recovery time. There is no redirection, removal, cutting, or stapling. As a result, the band can also be adjusted and the procedure can even be reversed. The idea of the band is the same, however, in as such that it makes the stomach itself smaller, leaving less space for food. One of the reasons why weight loss is slower, however, is because no change is made to the intestines, and because the band is often too loose to start with.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.