Methods Used by Doctors for Weight Loss Surgery Abroad

1. Methods Used by Doctors for Weight Loss Surgery Abroad Keeping a healthy weight is critical in maintaining good health and preventing risks of developing medical problems that are commonly associated with obesity. Bariatric surgeries are procedures that aid in weight-loss and help manage obesity either by restriction or malabsorption. Restriction surgeries are done in order to physically control or limit what the stomach can hold. By restricting the amount of food that your stomach can receive, the number of calories that you can digest is also controlled. Malabsorption surgeries, on the other hand, bypass or shorten a portion of the small intestine, thus reducing the amount of nutrients and calories that the body absorbs. There are four common methods of weight-loss surgery used by physicians including: •The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery–In this bypass surgery, a small pouch is created at the top part of the stomach. This pouch receives all the food, thus limiting the amount the patient can comfortably drink or eat at one time. The main portion of the stomach continues to produce digestive juices. The small intestine is cut just below the main stomach and is then connected to the new pouch so food can flow directly from the pouch to the small intestine. The small portion of the intestine that is still attached to the main stomach is then reattached farther down so digestive juices can flow as usual. •The Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure – Here, an inflatable and adjustable balloon is placed and fixed around the stomach’s upper region, thus creating a small pouch with a narrow opening that leads to the rest of the organ. This restricts the amount of food the stomach can hold, helping patients feel full sooner, although it doesn’t necessarily reduce caloric and nutrient absorption. •Sleeve Gastrectomy – In this procedure, a portion of the stomach is cut and removed from the body, while the remaining section is shaped into a tube-like form that can’t hold as much food. A smaller stomach also produces less ghrelin (appetite-regulating hormone), which lessens the patient’s desire to eat. •The Biliopancreatic diversion procedure – Like sleeve gastrectomy, biliopancreatic diversion starts with the removal of a large part of the stomach, leaving the valve that releases food to the small intestine along with the duodenum (upper portion of the small intestine). The middle section of the intestine is closed off, and the lower part is attached directly to the duodenum. The middle part is then reattached to the end of the intestine, allowing digestive juices to flow. As a result, absorption of nutrients and calories is reduced instead of simply curbing appetite.