Welcome to The Bariatric Surgery Resource. This site focuses on providing you with all the information you need when considering your weight loss options. Whether you are considering weight loss surgery and one of the many options such as gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, gastric banding or weight management through a healthy diet and exercise, we can help you by giving you all the information you need to make an informed decision.
The United States is now considered the most overweight country in the world with over 30% of Americans classified as obese. In addition, another 1/3 of Americans are considered overweight, which only further emphasizes the fact that this is a major problem facing a tremendous amount of people today. Many people simply can not shed the weight and keep it off effectively through proper dieting and exercise. This has necessitated the need for alternate solutions to combat obesity in America. This is why we have seen the increase in popularity for bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) and the ever increasing variations of this procedure to help those who want to lose their excess weight but have difficulty doing it through more traditional methods.
Bariatric surgery is known to be the most effective treatment for morbid obesity and for people with a body mass index over 40. We recommend you consider all your options and consult a medical professional when deciding if bariatric surgery is the right choice for you.
How to Use this Site
This site is designed to give you an in-depth look at all of your choices concerning weight loss surgery. These choices range from whether or not surgery is the right choice for you, to which procedure is the most appropriate to how to select the best bariatric surgeon to perform your surgery. Bariatric surgery can make a dramatic change in your life but it doesn’t come without risk and potential drawbacks. We want you to be prepared and understand everything you are dealing with before you make one of the most important decisions of your life.
There are always new techniques and methods being introduced and new studies and data being released related to weight loss and bariatric surgery so please visit often to stay abreast of the latest news and information. While we strive to have as much information for you as possible, if there is something more you’d like to know or simply have a comment or suggestion, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is the most recent question and answer from our frequently asked Q&A; section, which addresses a wide variety of common questions and anything related to weight loss surgery.
What is the success rate for bariatric surgery?
Weight loss surgery, no matter which procedure is being discussed, is considered successful when weight is reduced by 50% of the original weight and that weight loss is sustained for a a minimum of 5 years. So a patient who is 100 pounds overweight needs to lose a minimum of 50 pounds and keep that weight off for the first 5 years after surgery.
While ultimately each person is unique, each weight loss surgery does experience different success rates. For example, some patients who undergo a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass have been reported to be able to maintain a weight loss of 60 to 70% of their excess weight for 10 or more years. This is double the length of time required to be considered a successful surgery. 1
A patient who opts for gastric banding can expect an overall success rate of 54% over the 5 years after surgery.
In contrast, a patient undergoing stomach stapling (vertical banded gastroplasty) can also achieve long term success however studies have shown that fewer than 20% of patients are able to keep the weight off for 10 years post surgery. This is part of the reason that this procedure has been falling out of favor with many surgeons.
Ultimately, success from any of these weight loss surgery options will decide on how hard you work at changing your diet and exercise habits post surgery. These are the factors that will ultimately decide if your surgery can be considered a success.
Author
Nike R
