What Is The Best Weight Loss Surgery? Here are some common questions about bariatric surgery like “what is the best weight loss surgery”. Consult your doctor to learn about their approach to the procedure and to discuss specific recommendations for your health.
What Is The Best Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric surgery is the best and most effective treatment for morbid obesity (BMI 40 or more). About 65% of people who have bariatric surgery lose excess weight and keep it off for more than five years.
More than 30 conditions are associated with obesity, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obstructive sleep apnea, and degenerative joint disease.
Diabetes
Bariatric surgery is not only successful for weight loss, but also for the prevention, improvement, or treatment of type 2 diabetes. Recent studies show that bariatric surgery, especially gastric bypass, can achieve a breakdown rate (normal glucose in the blood) up to 83%.
Other studies have shown that people with a BMI as low as 30 can have a successful resolution of diabetes after gastric bypass or stomach surgery.
Weight Loss Factors
The weight you will lose after the procedure depends on several factors, such as the following:
- Age
- Ability to exercise
- Commitment to maintaining dietary guidelines and other follow-up care
- Motivation and cooperation of family and friends
- Overall health
- Weight before surgery
Preparation for Bariatric Surgery
What are the usual tests before surgery?
Basic tests are done before surgery, including a complete blood count, urination, and a chemistry chart. Other tests may also be needed, such as lung function tests, echocardiograms, sleep studies, GE scans, heart tests, or psychiatric tests.
What Is The Purpose Of These Tests?
The best way to avoid complications is to not have them in the beginning, so a careful assessment of your health is required before surgery.
For example, it is important to know if your thyroid is working properly because hypothyroidism can lead to sudden postoperative death. If you are diabetic, you need to take special measures to control your blood sugar. Your heart will be thoroughly evaluated because surgery increases cardiac stress.
Other tests will determine if you have liver dysfunction, difficulty breathing, excessive fluid in the tissues, abnormalities of salts or minerals in body fluids, or abnormal blood fat levels.
Why do I need a GE rating?
Gastrointestinal symptoms (upper abdominal pain, heartburn, belching, etc.) may be an indication of an underlying health problem, such as a septal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or peptic ulcer.
For example, many patients have symptoms of reflux. Up to 15% of them may show early changes in the lining of the esophagus, which would put them at risk for esophageal cancer.
It is important to identify these changes so that a follow-up or treatment schedule can be scheduled.
Why do I need a sleep study?
A sleep study detects abnormal respiratory arrest, which is usually associated with airway obstruction when muscles relax during sleep or sleep apnea. This condition is associated with a high mortality rate.
After surgery, you will calm down and take pain medication, which further suppresses normal breathing and reflexes. Airway obstruction becomes more dangerous, so it is important to have a clear picture of your normal breathing patterns during sleep.
Why do I need a psychiatric evaluation?
Your insurance company may require a psychiatric evaluation. Most psychiatrists will assess your understanding of the risks associated with weight loss surgery and your ability to follow the recovery plan.
- What impact do my medical problems have on the surgery decision and how do they affect the risk?
- Medical conditions, such as serious heart or lung problems, can increase the risk of any surgery. If the problems are related to weight, however, they may increase the need for surgery.
- Having serious medical problems does not mean that you are not a candidate for surgery, but they increase the risk of complications.
What Can I Do Before Surgery To Speed Up The Preparation Process?
Choose a primary care physician if you do not already have one and work with your doctor to make sure your regular health maintenance tests continue. For example, women can get dirty and if they are over 40, have a breast exam. For men, this may include prostate-specific antigen or PSA.
- Make a list of all the diets you have tried and bring it to your doctor.
- Bring any relevant medical information to your appointment with the surgeon. This includes reports of special examinations (echocardiogram, sleep study, etc.) or a summary of the discharge from the hospital if you have been to the hospital.
- Make a list of your medications by dosage and schedule.
- Quit smoking. Surgical patients who use tobacco products are at greater surgical risk
Bariatric Surgery Insurance
Why does it take so long to get insurance approval?
Once your final consultation is complete, it usually takes your doctor one to two days to send a letter to your insurer to begin the approval process. The time required for the response can range from about three to four weeks or more.
Most treatment centers have insurance analysts who will regularly monitor approval applications. It may help to call your insurance company about a week after you submit your letter and ask about the status of your claim.
Insurance payment can also be refused due to a lack of “medical need”. A treatment is considered medically necessary when it is needed to treat a serious or life-threatening condition. In the case of obesity, alternative therapies are considered available – such as diet, exercise, behavior modification, and certain medications. Emergency medical denials usually depend on the insurance company requesting some form of documentation, such as one to five years of diet-supervised diet or psychiatric evaluation, indicating that you have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight by other methods.
What can I do to help with the process?
Gather all the information (nutrition records, medical records, medical examinations, etc.) that your insurance company may require. This reduces the likelihood of refusing to provide the necessary information.
Call our clinic to find more detailed and professional answers to questions such as “What is the best weight loss surgery”. Our team of experts is ready to assist you.
Best Long-Term Weight Loss Surgery Options
Whether you are looking for a gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or other procedure, there are a variety of options to choose from as the best long-term weight loss surgery.
Bypass gastric surgery is one of the most popular long-term weight loss surgeries. During the procedure, the stomach is divided into two parts, and the top portion is connected directly to the small intestine. A sleeve gastrectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces the size of the stomach by about three-quarters. An adjustable gastric band is a type of restrictive weight loss surgery that involves placing an inflatable band around the upper part of your stomach. The duodenal switch is a more complicated procedure that combines both restrictive and malabsorptive techniques. During the procedure, part of the stomach is removed, and the small intestine is rerouted so that food bypasses parts of it.
No matter what type of weight loss surgery you choose, it is important to understand that it is not a quick fix. Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly is essential for achieving and maintaining long-term success. With dedication and commitment, the best long-term weight loss surgery can help you reach your health goals.
