Weight Loss Surgery Results
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Weight Loss Surgery: Background And Results Bariatrics: Reducing The Health Dangers
Of Obesity How Does Weight Loss Surgery Compare With Diets And Obesity Medication?Research studies show that severely obese patients do not achieve medically significant long term weight loss by traditional dietary methods. On average, they lose 5.5 pounds over 12 weeks, of which most is regained with 12 months. A four-year study of patients on obesity drugs, showed a final average weight loss of three pounds per person. By comparison, most studies into the weight reduction achieved by bariatric patients indicate significant weight losses with corresponding improvements in health. Long term studies of weight loss achieved by bariatric surgery are rarer, and much depends on patient attitude and the degree of post-operative support offered, but surgical treatment of obesity seems to offer a far higher chance of success than non-surgical methods. When Is Weight Loss Surgery Successful?For bariatric surgery to be successful, a patient must lose 50 percent of their excess body weight, and keep it off in the long term. Therefore, in the case of a patient who is 200 pounds overweight, the gastric bypass or lap-band operation is considered successful if the patient loses at least 100 pounds and keeps it off long-term (> 6-10 years). Results of gastroplasty (stomach stapling) and gastric banding - that is, restrictive surgeries - typically show an average loss of 50-60 percent of excess body weight at 12 months, followed by a slow weight gain thereafter. Five years after the operation, only 50 percent of patients have successfully kept the weight off, and at 10 years, as few as 26 percent of patients report successful weight maintenance. Recent studies show that lap-band bariatric operations can extend the weight loss over 2 to 3 years. Results of Roux-en-Y, Biliopancreatic Diversion and Duodenal Switch gastric bypass surgeries - the malabsorptive type of weight loss surgery - are generally better. Initial weight reduction after Roux-en-Y bypass frequently averages 75 percent of excess weight. However, as in the case of gastric banding, weight loss among stomach bypass patients is not uniformly sustained in the long term. The majority of clinical reports show that, following bypass weight loss surgery, most patients lose weight very fast and continue to do so up to two years afterwards. Studies into long term weight loss tend to vary, although gastric bypass remains the most effective operation for long term obesity reduction.. Even so, at least 1 in 4 of bypass surgeries fail. Patients either fail to reach their target weight or regain pounds by deliberately ingesting high-calorie foods and gradually stretch the stomach pouch far beyond its original size. University of Minnesota Review Of Weight Loss Surgery Results (2003)A review of 136 studies (published 1990-2003) involving 22,094 patients who underwent obesity surgery, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, examined the impact of bariatric surgery on weight reduction. Bariatric procedures included: gastroplasty, adjustable gastric banding and gastric bypass. The average patient-age was 39 years, average pre-operative BMI was 46.9. Just under threequarters of patients were women. The review found that the average percentage of initial excess weight loss was as follows:
University of Washington Study Into Success Of Weight Loss Surgery (2004)In a review of the health records of 66,109 obese patients in Washington state, 3,328 of whom had undergone a gastric-bypass operation, researchers found:.
McGill University Study Into Success Of Weight Loss Surgery (2004)This study compared 1,035 morbidly obese patients who had gastric reduction surgery (mostly stomach bypass), with 5,746 patients of similar weight who were not operated on. The study found:
Results Of Other Studies Into The Success Of Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric Surgery ResultsWeight loss surgery reduces obesity, although obese patients are always advised that any gastrointestinal surgery must be accompanied by lifestyle changes in the form of diet modification and increased physical exercise. A patient's commitment to improving their eating habits, taking regular physical exercise and making other weight-related behavioral changes, is an essential element for the long term success of any obesity operation. Diet And Weight Loss GuideRelated Weight Loss Surgery Links: Obesity Guide |