The number of patients undergoing weight loss surgery has increased dramatically. Over the past decade, the number of bariatric surgeries performed annually in the United States increased to 30 000 in 1999 to over 200,000 in 2008. However, this represents only a small percentage of Americans who are medically eligible for bariatric surgery and who may benefit from surgery for extreme obesity.
Extreme obesity, which is generally from 80 to 100 pounds or more overweight, is a chronic disease that is very difficult to treat. According to the National Institutes of Health, bariatric surgery is considered the only permanent treatment for those suffering from morbid obesity.
With obesity reaching epidemic levels, it is not expected that the growing popularity of bariatric surgery to stop anytime soon. However, the widespread obesity levels are not the only factor that explains the increase in treatment of surgical weight loss. An important part of the growth can be attributed to the evolution of safer surgical techniques and the availability of less invasive bariatric options.
Surgeons first began experimenting with different methods of bypass and gastric intestinal loss of weight again in the 1950s. Some of the first bariatric procedures were successful in terms of results of weight loss, but also leads to serious health problems, including protein-calorie malnutrition, diarrhea, kidney stones, arthritis and severe hepatic impairment .
Thanks to their efforts, surgeons have learned more about the effects of changing various parts of the digestive system and made improvements to its methods. Although it took many years of trial and error, it was in the 1990s that bariatric surgery has finally begun to benefit patients more than hurt them.
Bariatric procedure more successful at the time was the Roux-en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass surgery. RNY gastric bypass was performed in 1967 using methods of open and laparoscopic surgery in 1993. This procedure reduces the functional stomach volume and alter the body's response to the redirection by the supply of the small intestine.
Nearly four decades later, RNY gastric bypass is the most common surgery for weight loss achieved in the United States category. It is the result of rapid weight loss and improve or resolve many health problems related to obesity. Gastric bypass patients are required to make permanent changes in your eating habits and taking nutritional supplements to minimize the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
It was not until 2001, with FDA approval of the LAP-BAND System, there were a couple of bariatric surgery gastric bypass option. More recently, the Swedish adjustable gastric band, which is marketed in the United States that the group realizes, was approved by the FDA in 2007. Both gastric banding systems have been available worldwide since the mid-1990s.
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) is a less invasive than gastric bypass surgery with loss results similar long-term weight option. This method does not require surgical alteration of the stomach or intestines. Instead, a medical implant is placed in the body to limit the power and control hunger. The gastric band does not cause nutritional deficiencies such as gastric bypass, and can be adjusted or reversed if medically necessary.
While gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding are the two most popular bariatric choice bariatric two other lesser-known options, gastric and duodenal switch sleeve may be the treatment of choice in certain situations.
Choose to undergo a process of weight loss is not an easy way to lose weight, but for some people can be, literally, a measure to save their lives.
