Bariatric Surgery: Adding More Years To Your Life

Morbidly obese people beware. A host of illnesses and ailments have been attributed to being excessively overweight. Worst of all, those who have been morbidly or super obese for the longest time are the ones who are most likely to die early of a stroke, heart attack, or complications from diabetes. These are just a handful of diseases linked to being excessively obese, but the list goes on. Nevertheless, weight loss surgical procedures are readily available to help excessive obesity and eventually arrest the onset of diseases arising from this condition. One of these procedures is bariatric surgery.

Good news however comes in the form of bariatric surgery. Numerous studies indicate that the effect on obesity and its co-occurring health conditions from weight loss surgery can add years to your life. Thanks to this type of treatment, morbidly obese individuals have really been given hope. Studies indicate that patients who have undergone bariatric surgery showed significant weight loss that averaged 40-80 percent of their excess weight, depending on the type of weight loss procedure. LAP-BAND patients on average experience 40-60% loss of excess weight, while gastric bypass patients can experience up to 70-80% loss of excess weight. Weight loss can be long lasting if the patient is highly motivated and given adequate and lasting support, including exercise and dietary adjustments.

Clinical studies reveal that the procedure can likewise add more years to a patient's life. Based on available records, University of Cincinnati researchers confirmed that patients (in general) who have undergone bariatric surgery lived longer by about three more years. Researches further confirmed that younger patients, especially those who have very high Body Mass Index (BMI) had the highest percentage points increase in life expectancy compared to their older counterparts. No less than the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases gave credence to this study.

Italian researchers have also been working for the past 7 years on the effects of using the Lap-Band or undergoing gastric bypass. Their results are similar about the new lease on life that patients will have. This is not to minimize the potential dangers of a surgery since this comes with the invasiveness of the procedure. The extreme case would be death from complications, although the figures show only 1 for every thousand can result.

Of course, it goes without saying that the decision of whether or not to undergo weight loss surgery still rests on the individual. Any morbidly obese person who wishes to undergo any kind of weight loss surgery must always take into account the risks involved, as with any surgery.