Weight loss surgery is a life-changing procedure that helps people live healthier lives. However, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the surgery before you commit to this choice. So if you’re weighing your options and you want to know if bariatric surgery is worth it, check out this guide.
What Is Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric surgery is a procedure that changes the anatomy of the stomach and small intestine to induce weight loss. These changes alter the appetite, satiety, and metabolism. If you review the brief history of weight loss surgery, you’ll better understand how improvements in this procedure have helped so many people successfully shed pounds.
Risks and Side Effects
Like all surgeries, bariatric surgery comes with risks and side effects. However, weight loss surgery is a safe procedure—as safe as a routine gallbladder surgery—and most people don’t experience chronic complications. Depending on the patient’s recovery, short-term side effects may include stomach pain, nausea, dizziness, and acid reflux. If the patient experiences excessive bleeding, breathing problems, or infections, they should seek medical attention immediately.
Typically, after the patient adjusts to new eating habits and exercise plans, the side effects will go away, and the patient can then live a normal life.
Benefits
Of course, the goal of bariatric surgery is to lose weight. But its benefits go beyond shedding pounds. Here are some other things that bariatric surgery can do for someone:
- Reduce their chance of developing obesity-related health conditions such as hypertension and incontinence
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Offer long-term remission for type 2 diabetes
- Improve fertility and offer PCOS relief
- Offer joint pain relief
- Eliminate sleep apnea
Is the Procedure Worth It?
When you’re weighing your options for successful weight loss methods, surgery may come to mind. And you may wonder if bariatric surgery is worth it. If you’re someone who has experienced failed weight-loss attempts in the past or suffered from obesity-related issues, surgery may be the answer. It can help you live a happier and healthier life. Still, you should consult your doctor and a bariatric surgeon to make sure the procedure is right for you.
