Obesity is one of the common problems of most Americans. The factors causing this health condition varies depending on the type of lifestyle, work environment, genes, eating habits and many more. Although there are so many weight loss pills available in the market, there are some overweight and obese people that does not respond to any medication. Doing exercises may become futile if they can’t do it on a regular basis. Dieting is also an option but it has also some risks like failure of the body to absorb the necessary nutrients.

If all the options are not working for you, bariatric surgery can be your last resort. Your doctor should be able to explore all other non-surgical options since this will involve surgery. According to the National Institutes of Health, candidates for bariatric surgery should have at least a minimum Body Mass Index of 40. If it involved other morbidities, people with a BMI of 35 can also undergo the procedure. Another thing to consider is the cost of bariatric surgery. Health care providers usually ask around $3,000 for this procedure.

The surgical procedure is simple but there is a higher rate of complication. If you decide to choose this as a method for weight loss, the procedure will remove a segment of your stomach and reattaching a portion of your small intestines to the new stomach. This lead to fewer food intake and will also reduce the absorption of nutrients and calories. Statistics show that almost 20 percent of the patients who undergone bariatric surgery needs follow up operations. This is to correct complications such as abdominal hernias. Other side effects or complications include anemia, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

Patients may also suffer from dumping syndrome. This is the result of rapid emptying of the content of the stomach to the small intestines. Although this is not considered as a major health concern but the symptoms may not be well tolerated by some individuals. Some of the symptoms which are associated with the dumping syndrome include nausea, sweating, weakness, diarrhea, faintness, tiredness, rapid heart rate, and stomach cramping after eating. The best way to avoid this side effect of bariatric surgery is to avoid eating sugary foods and fatty foods.

After the surgery, patients may also encounter some changes in the bowel movement. They may have fewer and smaller bowel movements which is sometimes followed by constipation. This can be corrected by an increase in water intake and supplementation of fiber. For immediate relief, laxatives may be prescribed by your doctor.

Since bariatric surgery can lead to rapid weight loss, it may result to loose skins in the arms, stomach, breast and thigh. You can avoid this by doing exercises to tone the muscles. However, if this is not successful a plastic surgery is recommended. This is again another burden to your pocket since most insurance does not cover this medical treatment specially after a bariatric surgery.

Expect that after operation, other side effects may also happen such as nausea and vomiting, dehydration, and food intolerance. People are advised to eat smaller portions at a slow pace and chewing the foods well. To avoid food intolerance, avoid eating dry foods and the patient can also take liquid diet first. Thinning of the hair are also noted on some women who undergone a gastric by-pass surgery. Those women who plan to get pregnant should wait for at least 12 to 18 months after surgery.

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