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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » 6 frequently asked questions about bariatric surgery – WTOP

This article is sponsored by MedStar Washington Hospital Center

By Ivanesa Pardo Lameda, MD, bariatric surgeon, MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Bariatric surgery has been available in the U.S. for more than 50 years, and surgeons are doing more every year. In fact, our team performed 336 of these procedures in 2016, compared with 257 in 2013.

Still, bariatric surgery is still not well understood, and many people have questions about it.

Ive heard many. Two of the most frequent ones I get are, Is bariatric surgery safe? and Will I be left with a lot of flabby skin?

Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, can be a lifesaver for people struggling with obesity and its side effects. So lets get to the truth of some of the most common questions.

Is bariatric surgery dangerous?

Patients often tell me that friends and family worry they will die during bariatric surgery and try to discourage them from getting a procedure. I suspect this fear is a holdover from when the surgery was new.

As with any surgical procedure, the risks from bariatric surgery were much greater when it was first developed. But with the advent of minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery, which come with fewer complications, the procedures safety has dramatically improved.

In fact, the latest data show that bariatric surgery is safer than having your gallbladder removed. The mortality rate for bariatric surgery is 0.25 percent compared with 0.7 percent for gallbladder removal.

And dont forget that obesity also is dangerous, increasing the risk of life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, and even decreasing lifespan.

Will I be left with a lot of excess skin after bariatric surgery?

This is a complex issue and its specific to every individual. The bigger you are and the more weight you lose, the more excess skin youll have. But most patients find they have less excess skin than they expected.

The best advice I can give to avoid excess skin is to maintain and increase muscle mass, giving the skin lean tissue to contract over. Im not saying you need to become a body builder or look like a star athlete. But developing a fitness routine that promotes healthy muscle tone will help reduce excess skin.

If you do have sagging skin that bothers you, you can explore body contouring, which is an umbrella term for procedures, such as tummy tucks and lifts to the upper arms, midsection, back, thighs, buttocks and hips.

Will I just regain the weight after weight loss surgery?

Everyone seems to knows someone who had bariatric surgery and gained all the weight back. But in reality, thats pretty rare. A 2016 study found that only 3 percent of study participants who had gastric bypass regained most or all of the weight they lost after 10 years.

Weight loss after bariatric surgery occurs on a curve. Weight drops rapidly right after surgery and continues for 18 months to two years. A little weight gain is expected after that, but then it should plateau. This is normal, and were talking about a few pounds, not a massive amount of weight (usually about 5 percent).

When a patient does regain a considerable amount of weight, we first try to determine whether there was a problem with the surgery. For example, in gastric bypass, the surgeon reduces the size of the stomach and reconnects the small intestine to the new stomach, bypassing the original stomach and several feet of the small intestine. One rare complication of this surgery is gastrogastric fistula, in which food goes into the old stomach instead of the new stomach pouch, causing weight gain.

Most weight gain can be traced back to dietary habits. People dont come back for after-care appointments or follow diet recommendations, or they simply fall back into old habits. And while someone might go through all the pre-surgery education, their psychological relationship with food may not change post-surgery.

Regaining all the weight can happen, but its rare. Well work with you and a dietitian to help you get back on track before you regain too much of the weight you worked so hard to lose.

Is having weight loss surgery the easy way out?

Im amazed that in this day and age some people still think of surgery as the easy way out. There is nothing easy about bariatric surgery. People who have these procedures prepare for six months on average and then must change their lifestyle and diet after surgery. Its a lot of work.

The National Institutes of Health recognizes bariatric surgery as the only effective way to treat severe obesity and maintain long-term weight loss.

Losing weight through diet and exercise can be extremely difficult. Many people experience the yo-yo effect, in which they lose and gain weight multiple times. This can wreak havoc with a persons metabolism, making losing weight even more difficult. In fact, less than 5 percent of people who lose weight by diet and exercise are able to maintain long-term weight loss.

And weight loss medications come with their own problems. Along with potential side effects, they only work as long as you take them. Theres no long-term weight loss effect.

Will I develop a vitamin deficiency after weight loss surgery?

Vitamin deficiencies are a real concern after bariatric surgery. Your body will not be able to absorb them, as well as it used to. However, taking a daily multivitamin and following your dietary recommendations should ward off potential problems.

Severe vitamin deficiencies dont develop overnight, and we have processes in place to catch them early. We check your vitamin levels six months after surgery, at a year, then yearly after that. If your levels are low, well work on it before it becomes a problem.

Will I still be able to eat dessert or drink alcohol after bariatric surgery?

Yes. Because your body will process and absorb foods differently after surgery, we recommend that you not eat foods high in sugar and fat immediately after surgery or drink alcohol for two years. But after a while, you can have a piece of cake at a wedding or a glass of wine for your anniversary. Youll need to eat and drink these items in moderation, but you can have them for special occasions. This is also a good guideline for people who just want to live a healthier lifestyle.

If you have heard something fishy about bariatric surgery, dont hesitate to ask your doctor. Weve heard it all, and we wont think your question is silly. If youre considering bariatric surgery, its your rightand our jobto make sure you understand the ins and outs before you commit to preparing for and maintaining a healthier weight.

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6 frequently asked questions about bariatric surgery - WTOP

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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » 6 frequently asked questions about bariatric surgery – WTOP