Fat off: Which surgery is best for losing weight?

Diets and the dreaded yo-yo effect impose new obstacles on many people on their way to their desired weight. If it is not possible to reduce the body weight to a healthy level by one’s own efforts, an operation can be an alternative. The following article describes which stomach operations can be considered for weight loss.

Stomach reduction is the most serious operation

Weight loss surgeries do not only consist of liposuction of fat deposits on the stomach, legs or hips. These fat deposits can fill up again over time and require another operation. Doctors who deal with the treatment of severely overweight patients argue against cosmetic surgery and in favour of operations on the stomach for this reason.

One of the best-known operations to facilitate weight reduction is stomach reduction. Among experts, this procedure is also known as tube stomach surgery. During the reduction, the stomach is cut open lengthwise and part of it is removed. A new, smaller stomach is then formed. The new stomach is shaped like a tube, which is why the name is used to describe the effects of the operation to the patient. For the stomach reduction to be successful, it is essential that the portions of food eaten are drastically reduced. This way, patients do not run the risk of the tissue expanding again or other complications.

The gastric balloon reduces the absorption capacity

For people who want to reduce the size of the stomach without losing part of this organ, the gastric balloon can be considered. The balloon is inserted into the stomach, where it causes a significant reduction in the volume of food that can be absorbed. The balloon is of a size that makes it impossible for it to penetrate further into the digestive tract. The balloon, which is made of silicone, also has the advantage that the abdominal cavity does not have to be opened for insertion. With the help of an endoscopy, the balloon is inserted into the stomach and filled with liquid or air.

Letsmedi weight loss surgery packages offer gastric balloon surgery as one of the available options. This provider allows you to book trips abroad that coincide with a surgical procedure or medical treatment. Having the procedures performed in foreign clinics is usually associated with lower costs. If your health insurance does not cover the surgery, it is advisable to check this offer for its individual advantages and disadvantages.

The gastric band accelerates the feeling of fullness

A third option is the insertion of a gastric band. In this operation, no tissue is removed, but a smaller stomach is formed by cutting it off. One advantage of this procedure is that the gastric band can be removed so that the operation can be reversed if the patient wishes. If the patient has succeeded in reducing the weight and maintaining it over a longer period of time, the second operation may even be advisable from a medical point of view.

After the gastric band has been inserted, patients often have to work out new meal plans with doctors or even nutrition experts. The very manageable portions that the reduced stomach can hold often lead to eating more than just the three main meals. Establishing and maintaining new routines is just as important for gastric banding as finding a clinic experienced in the procedure.

Gastric bypass creates a new stomach

A major medical procedure also involves gastric bypass. This operation is comparable to the tubular stomach, but it goes one step further. Not only is the stomach volume reduced, but the length is also shortened. The food therefore only stays in the stomach for a shorter time and reaches the intestine more quickly. In theory, less nutrients such as carbohydrates or fat are removed from the food, which is supposed to support the weight loss process.

Criticism of this stomach surgery, on the other hand, is often based on the consequences, such as a feeling of fullness that occurs more quickly. Comparable to other weight-loss operations on this organ, medical and, in some cases, psychological aftercare is a basic prerequisite for a successful outcome of the operation.