Weight Loss Surgery: Is It Right for You?

Currently in the United States, a full 42% of the population is considered obese, and 9% suffer from severe obesity. It’s estimated that by 2030, the number of people in the U.S. living with obesity will be 50%. But, obesity is more than a number on a scale or a measurement of your body mass index (BMI). It’s a serious, potentially life-threatening, metabolic disease that requires aggressive treatment.

Having obesity often comes with a burdensome list of serious weight-related health issues, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure – a trifecta called metabolic syndrome and a harbinger of major cardiac events such as heart attack or stroke. Other common co-morbidities include obstructive sleep apnea, gastric reflux disease and increased risk of many cancers.

“The good news is that bariatric surgery is clinically proven to be an effective treatment to help resolve or lessen many of the serious weight-related conditions suffered by people with obesity,” says Dr. Ravi Alapati, a fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon at Owensboro Health. “Bariatric or weight loss surgery is the #1 most effective treatment for obesity and obesity-related illnesses.”

Dr. Alapati performs two laparoscopic procedures — Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy — procedures which now account for about 90% of all weight loss surgeries performed worldwide.

Below, Dr. Alapati answers some questions that are frequently asked by his patients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should consider weight loss surgery?

People who would greatly benefit from this surgery are those who have struggled with weight issues all their lives and are suffering from serious, weight related conditions. We use Body Mass Index (or BMI) as a measure for eligibility for surgery. A patient with a BMI of 35 or more would qualify if he or she has a serious weight-related condition. Patients with a BMI of 40 or greater qualify even if they do not have serious weight-related health conditions.

Isn’t having this surgery “the easy way out” to losing weight?

Not at all. Most people who whose BMI puts them in the “obese” category have struggled with their weight all their lives. They can recite a long list of diets and exercise programs they have tried, but nothing has worked for them in the long term. Bariatric surgery merely gives them a jump start to losing weight and a tool to help them be successful in an area where they have had a lifetime of failure. After surgery, these people will have to put forth the same amount of effort to modify their diets and improve lifestyle choices – difference is that now they have this life-long tool to help them succeed and maintain a healthier lifestyle at a healthier weight.

How does bariatric surgery help in losing weight?

The most obvious answer is that the surgeries modify the anatomy of your stomach so that you eat less and feel full much sooner. Gastric bypass also modifies your digestive tract, which decreases the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs from the food you eat. But both procedures also affect your body’s hormones to reset your metabolic “set point,” which allows you to lose weight and maintain lower body fat.

Is bariatric surgery safe?

Yes, bariatric surgery is a safe, evidence-based treatment that has been around since the 1970s. In the past, bariatric surgery was a more invasive procedure. Following surgery, people would stay in the hospital for up to a week. Recovery would take several months.

These days, most bariatric surgeries are done laparoscopically, through five or six small holes in the abdomen. They’re minimally invasive, which means quicker recoveries and fewer complications. Patients typically spend one night in the hospital and go home the next day, and they usually can return to work in a week or two.

Since 2018, Owensboro Health has had the privilege of helping more than 750 patients lose excess weight. This means more than 750 of our friends and neighbors are healthier and happier now.

To learn more and to take the first step toward weight loss surgery, watch the brief, online seminar at Owensboro Health.org/BestSelf/Seminar.

Contact Owensboro Health Weight Management at 270-688-1500 or email swlc@owensborohealth.org.