Bariatric surgery is a life-changing operation for those who want o lose weight, especially people suffering from obesity. But studies have shown that it has more health benefits than just helping people lose weight.
Many people have tried bariatric surgery because it produces significant and sustainable weight loss in obese people who have not achieved their desired results from other weight loss methods or programs. They can choose from different types of bariatric surgery currently available from West Medical, but the most common one is gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.
Plastic surgeon Carlos del Pino Roxo (C) gives instructions for a post-bariatric surgery to Yuli Cruz (bottom) at a clinic center, in Cali, Colombia, on October 16, 2014.
Bariatric Surgery: Why is it Done? Who is it For?
Bariatric surgery's main purpose is to lose excess weight and reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening health problems, according to Mayo Clinic. These weight-related health problems may include heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.
It is usually the last option of those who want to lose weight but fail after many attempts. This procedure is done on people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, which is considered a case of extreme obesity. More so, obese people with 39.9 BMI and who suffer from health problems qualify to get the surgery, as well as those with 30-34 BMI.
Doctors have cautioned the public that not everyone is qualified to get bariatric surgery as it is only intended for those severely overweight. Those people need to meet all guidelines to qualify for weight loss surgery. They may need long-term follow-up plans, including monitoring nutrition, lifestyle, and behavior.
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Bariatric Surgery May Help Keep the Liver Healthy
According to news outlet WQAD8, 1 out of 3 Americans are obese and 1 in 13 of them are considered extremely obese. Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, obesity is a disease that has been affecting the American people for many years. Despite countless weight loss methods introduced, the US still has many obese people, so bariatric surgery is gaining popularity.
But a recent study from Cleveland Clinic claims that it does more than just help the person lose weight. In the press release of Cleveland Clinic, researchers said that it could also help keep the liver healthy. Fatty liver occurs when it is infiltrated with fat, leading to incurable liver failure.
In their study, titled "Association of Bariatric Surgery With Major Adverse Liver and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Biopsy-Proven Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis" published in JAMA Network, researchers found that participants of the study who had bariatric surgery had an 88% lower risk of having an advanced fatty liver disease that progress to cirrhosis and other liver disease-related death.
Furthermore, they also found that those same patients had a 70% lower chance of developing severe cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and stroke.
Meanwhile, another research has shown that bariatric surgery may help improve or lower the risk of back pain, depression, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.
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