Indications
Doctor's may recommend bariatric surgery to patients based on their BMI (Body Mass Index). The BMI can be calculated by dividing the patient's weight by the square of the patient's height (in meters). People with a BMI of over 25 are considered to be overweight. A BMI over 30 indicates obesity, and a BMI over 40 suggests morbid obesity. Because morbid obesity can cause a number of health problems, it is very advantageous for morbidly obese people to lose weight. Bariatric surgery is generally suggested for morbidly obese patients who have been unable to lose weight with more conventional methods (such as diet and exercise).
Gastric Banding
One form of bariatric surgery is called gastric banding (sometimes known as lap-banding). In this procedure, an adjustable band is fitted around the top portion of the stomach. The purpose of the band is to restrict the size of the stomach which in essence makes it much smaller. This causes patients to feel full very easily and severely limits how much food can be eaten in one sitting. One advantage that gastric banding has is that the band can be adjusted and even removed depending on the patient's dietary needs (if the patients wishes to become pregnant, for example, the band will need to be loosened). However, these gastric bands can slip, which can cause severe nausea and pain as well as damage to the stomach.
Gastric Bypass
Another type of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass surgery. With this procedure, the top of the stomach (which connects to the esophagus) is cut away from the rest of the stomach and is then connected with a portion of the small intestine. Like gastric banding, this procedure severely limits the size of the stomach and limits the amount of food that can be eaten in one sitting. Because partially undigested food gains access to the small intestine, this type of surgery also activates chemical signals that indicate satiety. This type of procedure can be reversed but the reversal operation is more complicated and may not work.
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