What You Should Know About Bariatric Surgery New Jersey

By Cynthia Clark


There exists a wide variety of reasons why people need to lose weight. For some it is simply a matter of appearance, but for a growing number of people worldwide, it is actually about their health. Losing weight is much easier said than done, and is a real struggle for many obese people. That is why bariatric surgery New Jersey is a good idea, to help with the struggle.

When you visit your doctor to talk about your bariatric options, there will be many to choose from. Ultimately, the one your doctor chooses for you will depend on many things, including how much weight you wish to lose and what the current state of your health is, among many other considerations. They will always do the best procedure for your needs.

A popular method is the sleeve gastrectomy. This is where the surgeon literally puts a sleeve into your body, one that is shaped much like your stomach. The sleeve basically fills part of your stomach so you do not eat as much and feel full faster. This is typically only performed on patients who have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, or 35 or higher.

If the sleeve is not quite right for you, then perhaps you and your doctor should instead consider gastric banding. In this one, a silicone band that is shaped to mimic your stomach is placed around it, while another device with a port is inserted along the outer wall of your stomach, just below the skin. This port can accept a needle to that your doctor can inject saline directly into your stomach to take up space and make you feel fuller with less food intake. The amount of saline can be adjusted as many times as needed.

If you want another option, then perhaps you should discuss something called the Roux-en-Y. This is where a small pouch is made inside the body, and a piece of your small intestine is attached to it. This allows you to digest the food while bypassing a large amount of the intestinal tract, so less calories and food is actually absorbed.

There was a time in the past where surgeons had to use rigid scalpels and make large incisions in order to perform these procedures, which means larger scars. However, today technology lets robotics such as the da Vinci system do some of the work instead. The bendy instruments of these machines allows for less scars, tiny incisions and possibly even shortened recovery time.

Any and all of these procedures could be the right one for you if you have a lot of weight to lose. However, if you have only 25 to 50 pounds or so to lose, then you could undergo a procedure called a gastric balloon. This is a nonsurgical procedure where a balloon is put into the stomach using only local anesthesia and a gastroscope. It can be inserted up to six months while you diet and exercise to achieve your target weight, then removed.

On occasion, depending on which surgery you got, you may need revisions done. Keep in mind that there could be complications, or you just may need an adjustment as your weight loss goals change with your lifestyle.




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