What Are the Different Types of Weight Loss Surgery?

To understand how surgical treatments may assist a very obese person in losing weight, it is necessary to first understand the digestive tract, which is responsible for processing the food we consume.

Food travels through the digestive tract, where enzymes and digestive fluids break it down and enable our bodies to absorb the nutrients and calories it contains. The breakdown of the material proceeds in the stomach, which has a capacity of three pints and can contain up to three pounds of material. As it passes through the stomach and enters the duodenum, the digestion process is accelerated by the inclusion of bile and pancreatic secretions. It is in this region that our bodies absorb the bulk of the iron and calcium included in the meals we consume. Last but not least, the small intestine, namely the jejunum and ileum, completes the digestion process by absorbing all of the calories and nutrients from the food consumed. Any remaining food particles are then passed through the small intestine and into the large intestine for disposal.

Weight reduction techniques that entail skipping or, in some manner, circumventing the whole digestive process are known as bariatric procedures. They may vary from a modest restriction in the quantity of food you can consume to substantial bypasses of the digestive system and everything in between. Many of these procedures require a person to be classified as "morbidly obese," which means that they must be at least 100 pounds above the ideal weight for their height and overall body shape in order to be considered.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Dr. Edward E. Mason noticed in the mid-1960s that women who had had partial stomach excisions as a consequence of peptic ulcers were unable to gain weight after the procedure. As a result of this finding, the experimental use of stapling across the top of the stomach to lower its real capacity to around three tablespoons was developed. The stomach soon filled up and finally emptied into the bottom region of the stomach, finishing the digestive process in the regular manner, as it should. The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the name given to a procedure that has developed over time to become what it is today. As an alternative to partitioning the stomach, it is partitioned and isolated from the rest of the body using staples. The small intestine is then cut at roughly 18" below the stomach and linked to the "new" small stomach, which is formed as a result of this procedure. Smaller meals are subsequently consumed, and the digested food is excreted straight into the lower region of the intestinal system. When it comes to weight loss procedures in general, this is regarded to be one of the safest, since it allows for long-term control of obesity.

Gastric banding is a procedure that is used to reduce the size of the stomach.

a surgical procedure that achieves essentially the same results as stomach stapling or bypass surgery and is classified as a "restrictive" operation in the same way.The initial procedures comprised placing a non-flexing band around the top half of the stomach, below the esophagus, resulting in an hourglass-shaped stomach, with the upper region of the stomach being limited to the same 3-6 ounce capacity as the lower portion. In the course of technological advancement, the band grew more adaptable, adding an inflated balloon that, when activated by a reservoir implanted in the abdomen, was capable of inflating to reduce the size of the stoma or deflating to increase its size. Laparoscopic surgery results in fewer scars and less invasion of the digestive system than traditional surgery.

Biliopancreatic Diversion is a procedure in which the bile is diverted from the pancreas to the liver.

Gastric bypass and Roux-en-Y restructuring are two procedures that are used in conjunction to bypass a major piece of the small intestine, increasing the likelihood of malabsorption. It is necessary to decrease the size of the stomach and to join an extended Roux-en-Y anastomosis to the smaller stomach, which is located further down the small intestine than is normally the case. This allows the patient to consume larger quantities of food while still losing weight as a result of malabsorption.

Professor Nicola Scopinaro of the University of Genoa in Italy invented the approach and released the first long-term findings of his research last year. These patients experienced an average 72 percent reduction in excess body weight that was sustained over an 18-year period, the best long-term results of any bariatric surgical procedure to date.Patients with BPD must be monitored for the rest of their lives to ensure that they are getting enough calcium and vitamins. Having the ability to consume more calories while still losing weight is offset by the side effects of loose or foul-smelling feces, flatulence, stomal ulcers, and potential protein deficiency.

Bypass of the Jejuno-Ileal Canal

Developed in the 1960s, one of the earliest weight reduction techniques for the very obese was a purely malabsorptive strategy of losing weight and avoiding weight gain. The jejuno-ileal bypass surgery decreased the lower digestive system to a mere 18" of small intestine, as opposed to the normal 20 feet, which made a significant difference in the absorption of calories and nutrients after surgery. As a result of this procedure, the upper intestine was cut below the stomach and re-attached to the small intestine considerably lower down, which had also been cut, resulting in the bulk of the intestine being "cut out." As a result of poor carbohydrate and protein absorption as well as lipid, mineral, and vitamin absorption, a version known as the end-to-side bypass was developed, which took the end of the upper section and joined it to the side of the lower half without separating at that point.

Reflux of bowel contents into the non-functioning upper section of the small intestine resulted in more absorption of important nutrients, but also less weight loss and higher weight gain after surgery, according to the researchers. Fatty acids are spilled into the colon as a consequence of this procedure. This irritation causes water and electrolytes to flood the intestines, which ultimately results in persistent diarrhea. Malabsorption and excretion of bile salts, which are required to maintain cholesterol in solution, diminish the bile salt pool available for use. As a result, the cholesterol content in the gall bladder increases, increasing the likelihood of gallstone formation. Multiple vitamin losses are a significant source of worry since they may lead to bone weakening, discomfort, and fractures in the elderly. One-third of patients experience a change in the size and thickness of the remaining active small intestine.

This improves the absorption of nutrients and helps to balance the weight loss caused by the procedure. In the long term, however, all patients who have undergone this bypass are at risk of developing hepatic cirrhosis as a result of the procedure. One study conducted in the early 1980s revealed that approximately 20% of those who had undergone JIB conversion required conversion to another bypass alternative. Because of the high number of risks associated with the procedure, it has been largely abandoned.

However, although surgical treatments for weight loss are beneficial to the morbidly obese, they are not without their hazards as well. Patients may be required to spend more time in bed after surgery, increasing their risk of developing blood clots. The presence of pain may also result in lower breathing depth and problems such as pneumonia.

The advantages and hazards of any kind of fat/weight reduction surgery should be extensively discussed with a significantly overweight person before proceeding. The individual must also make a commitment to their future health before proceeding. Having a smaller stomach will not prevent a habitual sugar-snacker from "grazing" on high-calorie sweets on a regular basis. Additionally, a constant supply of soda, concentrated sweet juices, and milk shakes does not help to lower calorie consumption. In some cases of bypass surgery, certain foods can exacerbate side effects that, if followed correctly, do not have to be as severe as they otherwise would be. Surgical weight reduction might be a "shortcut," but it can also limit your quality of life if you can't keep up with the regimens that are part of the procedure.