Bariatric surgery

Surgery

Any method of combating obesity can be called bariatrics, but today this term is most often associated with weight loss surgery.

Obesity is a real pandemic of the 21st century. A sedentary lifestyle, the rapid development of various modes of transportation, a huge range of food outlets and high-calorie foods have led to the fact that today every 4th Ukrainian is overweight, and every 10th is obese.

Why is obesity dangerous?

In addition to deteriorating the quality and comfort of life, being overweight has been proven to lead to a number of diseases:

arterial hypertension
type II diabetes mellitus
heart attack
stroke
some types of oncology (breast, ovarian cancer, etc.)
obstructive sleep apnea and many others.

All this has led to the fact that obesity is currently an acute social and medical problem. There are many different methods of treating this disease (diets, exercise, pharmaceuticals), and yet the number of obese people in the world is only growing.

Bariatric surgery is the last resort, but at the same time the most effective and sustainable method of obesity correction.

Bariatric surgery is a branch of surgery that treats obesity. Sometimes, liposuction or other types of plastic surgery are mistakenly attributed to its methods. But bariatric surgery, unlike plastic surgery, affects the cause of obesity, reducing the amount of calories taken in or absorbed by the body.

The effect of bariatric surgery is realized through one of two mechanisms:

Restrictive - reducing the amount of food consumed.
Malabsorptive - a decrease in the absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract.

Modern bariatric surgeries often have a restrictive or combined effect, reducing both the intake of food and its absorption.

What are the benefits of bariatric surgery at Dobrobut?

A multidisciplinary team of specialists working on the problem (bariatric surgeon, endocrinologist, nutritionist, psychologist, somnologist).
Comprehensive preoperative examination
Postoperative observation of the patient
Modern high-tech equipment and disposable supplies from leading manufacturers (USA)
Personalized approach to each patient
Using only modern protocols for the surgical treatment of obesity (ASMBS and IFSO)

What bariatric surgeries are performed at Dobrobut?

Sleeve gastrectomy is the most common bariatric surgery in the world. Its essence is to reduce the volume of the stomach by 80% by removing part of it. This leads to rapid satiety, a reduction in the amount of food consumed and, consequently, weight loss. In addition, during sleeve resection, the area of the stomach that produces ghrelin (the "hunger hormone") is removed, which helps to significantly reduce this feeling in the postoperative period.
Gastric bypass surgery is an operation that reduces the volume of the stomach and shortens the length of the small intestine involved in the digestive process. Accordingly, a person not only reduces the portion of food, but also the number of calories absorbed in the intestines.
Minigastric bypass is a surgical intervention with a combined effect. In fact, it is one of the variations of gastric bypass surgery, which is performed according to certain indications.

In addition, patients who are obese but have no indications for bariatric surgery can have an intragastric balloon installed. This is an invasive, but not surgical procedure, during which a special volumetric balloon filled with liquid is placed in the lumen of the stomach. This imitates the feeling of satiety, resulting in a reduction in the amount of food consumed. An intragastric balloon can also be a stage of preparation for bariatric surgery if the weight is extremely high, in order to reduce the risks associated with surgery.

Who needs bariatric surgery?

Indications for bariatric surgery are determined on the basis of Body Mass Index (BMI), which is body weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. Normally, this figure should not exceed 24.9 kg/m2.

Surgical treatment of obesity may be indicated in the following cases:

Body mass index of more than 35 kg/m2 - obesity of the second degree.
Body mass index more than 30 kg/m2 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Body mass index more than 30 kg/m2 in patients who have not achieved weight loss or improved results in the treatment of comorbidities by non-surgical methods

Bariatric surgery is a good solution when preparing patients for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and major surgical procedures in orthopedics or neurosurgery. It helps to reduce not only weight, but also the number of postoperative complications, for example, after joint replacement or spinal stabilization.

How does the preparation for surgery go?

In order to minimize complications, the patient undergoes a full range of examinations before surgery, during which:

A bariatric surgeon will develop an individual treatment plan, advise on the best way to lose weight (sleeve resection, gastric bypass, gastric balloon placement), and plan a postoperative recovery program.
An endocrinologist will determine the causes of obesity. Often, the problem lies in hormonal disorders or hereditary diseases.
The anesthesiologist will conduct detailed preparation for a comfortable and safe operation and recovery after it.
The endoscopist will perform a gastroscopy (examination of the gastrointestinal tract).
They also check the functioning of the lungs, heart, and assess the condition of the organs to avoid any complications.

How is the postoperative recovery going?

Surgery is only 50% of the success on the way to losing weight. The other 50% is proper postoperative care and follow-up:

The patient is monitored by a team of bariatric surgeons for a month. Regular check-ups are on the first, third, sixth and twelfth month after the surgery.
A month after the surgery, you return to consultations with an endocrinologist to adjust the metabolism of vitamins and minerals in case of rapid weight loss.
A month after the surgery and for a year - consultations with a nutritionist. The doctor will develop a detailed nutrition program. The first year after surgery is extremely important as the patient learns to maintain the weight loss.
A psychologist helps the patient to adjust to new eating habits and change their lifestyle.
If a person has developed Pickwick's syndrome due to obesity, which is accompanied by snoring and sleep apnea, a sleep physician will consult him or her.