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Weight Loss
Surgery
You’ve tried it all: you’ve cut your calories ‘til you feel you’ve
starved yourself, but you haven’t lost weight. You’ve run a
gazillion miles, from here to the moon –and then even started
swimming laps in the local pool, just to make sure you’re doing
things right, and still no results. You’ve even sought a specialist
in Chinese Traditional Medicine, had yourself poked with so many
acupuncture pins that you felt like a dart board (but you hung in
tough –no pain, no gain, right?). Yet still you have the weight. It
just isn’t fair, is it? So now you’re considering weight loss
surgery.
At the very minimum, let’s hope that you’ve tried at least a few of
the above steps towards shedding those kilos. The truth of the
matter is this: weight loss surgery is still surgery, and that means
it is a serious investment of money, time, and trust. As well, even
if you do get weight loss surgery, your habits will remain the same
long after any surgery (something a dietician or counselor can help
you with, not a surgeon). If you have weight loss surgery you may
wake up a year later to find that you’re once again gaining that
weight.
For this reason, this article is for those brave souls who’ve
battled for success and for whom weight loss surgery is the final
option. First bit of advice: see at least 3 weight loss surgery
doctors. This is due to the law of individuality: we’re all
individuals, including doctors. Some have more experience than
others. Some have no experience at all, and you just may be their
first patient.
With this in mind, it is important that you ask the doctors any
questions that you may have, so that you will understand the nature
of each type of surgery –particularly the type of weight loss
surgery which they recommend.
With general weight loss surgery there are two basic types of
procedures: open surgery and minimally invasive. Open surgery simply
involves a long incision as a means to operate. Minimally invasive
on the other hand, usually requires only approximately 6 smaller
cuts through which special instruments, including micro cameras,
will be inserted to accomplish the procedure.
As you have probably guessed, minimally invasive procedures are
preferred by most people as they leave less scar tissue and scarring
itself. As well, the hospital stay of this type of surgery is less
than with open surgery. Also, the chances of complication such as
hernia are greater with open surgery than with minimally invasive
procedures.
While open surgery may not seem right for you, as everyone is
different, there are cases where this is the preferred surgery, for
whatever reason may be the case. Of course, only a doctor can tell
you what is best for you specifically.
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