Weight Loss Surgery Benefits More than the Waistline

1. Weight Loss Surgery Benefits More than the Waistline For many in Dallas, weight loss surgery is seen as just that: surgery that helps a patient lose weight. New research is finding that the benefits of weight loss surgery are more than just the waistline. In Quebec, the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute (CAN) presented new findings at the European Society of Cardiology, which suggests that weight loss surgery has multiple other benefits like reversing some of the early damage to the heart that can be caused by obesity. Some of these benefits include the following: Six months after surgery 80% of patients had normal heart function Patients experienced improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar following surgery   Along with heart health and vital sign improvements, bariatric surgery patients may also experience improved sexual functioning, according to a new study by North Dakota State University. JAMA surgery journal recently published a study examining long term effects of weight loss surgery on sexual functioning. Following up with 2215 patients over five years after bariatric surgery found that nearly 50% of them experienced ongoing improvements and satisfaction with improved sexual functioning. Prior to this study, numerous short-term studies found bariatric surgery patients experienced upswings in sexual performance as well as increased levels of desire from both obese men and women in the recent months following bariatric surgery. Until this most recent study, there hadn’t been any research on whether these improvements in sexual functioning persisted long-term. Prior to surgery, 74% of males and 70% of females in the study reported being unsatisfied with their sex lives. In the twelve months following their weight loss surgery, 66% of men and 60% of women reported experiencing improvements in frequency of desire and sexual functioning. Though the percentages declined slightly over the next four years, authors have concluded that overall the findings are solid: increased sexual functioning may be an added benefit in weight loss surgery. The US study also found that the method of weight loss surgery didn’t affect the outcomes. Coincidentally, the same study saw many patients reporting a decrease in both symptoms of depression and use of antidepressant medications. Overall, it remains pretty clear that bariatric surgery has many health benefits, both physical and mental, for patients considering weight loss surgery. About Author One of the most experienced weight loss surgeons in the country – Dr. Nick Nicholson – along with a full staff of surgeons, nurses and other experienced clinicians, help patients reverse obesity with LAP-BAND, Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Balloon and Revisions.