Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss

Bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery, in Monterrey, Mexico is a category of surgical operations intended to help people with obesity lose weight.

Bariatric surgery procedures include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric balloon and mini gastric bypass. These operations have proven results in treating class III obesity. They also help normalize your metabolism, including blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Weight loss surgery procedures work by modifying your digestive system — usually your stomach, and sometimes also your small intestine — to regulate how many calories you can consume and absorb. They can also reduce the hunger signals that travel from your digestive system to your brain.

These procedures can help treat and prevent many metabolic diseases related to obesity, including diabetes and fatty liver disease. But weight loss surgery isn’t an easy “quick fix”. It requires preparation beforehand and long-term lifestyle changes afterward to be successful.

Why is bariatric surgery done?

Weight loss surgery is the most successful long-term treatment for class III obesity. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is nearly impossible for people with class III obesity to sustain weight loss through diet and exercise alone.

Once your body has registered your higher weight as “normal,” it continues to try to return to that weight. Weight loss surgery works by changing how your body manages what you eat, allowing healthy diet and lifestyle changes to be effective for sustained weight loss and health.

Conditions treated with weight loss surgery

Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases, many of which can be life-threatening. These conditions and risk factors greatly improve after surgery and weight loss. If you’re a candidate for surgery, you may already have or be at risk of developing any of these diseases, including:

High cholesterol. Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) means your blood has too many lipids (fats) in it. These can add up and lead to blockages in your blood vessels. This is why high cholesterol can put you at risk for a stroke or heart attack.
High blood pressure. Hypertension (high blood pressure) means the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is too high. This wears down the walls of your blood vessels and puts you at greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
High blood sugar. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is highly linked to insulin resistance and is considered a precursor to diabetes. Left untreated, it can damage your nerves, blood vessels, tissues and organs, increasing your risk of many diseases.
Type 2 diabetes. Excess fat storage can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to adult-onset diabetes (type 2). The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases by 20% for each 1 point increase on the BMI (body mass index) scale.
Heart disease. Obesity can lead to impaired cardiac function and congestive heart failure. It can also cause plaque to build up inside your arteries and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Kidney disease. Metabolic syndromes associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance and congestive heart failure, are major contributors to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
Obstructive sleep apnea. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep when their upper respiratory tract becomes blocked. These episodes reduce oxygen flow to the vital organs and particularly endanger the heart.
Osteoarthritis. Having excess weight puts extra pressure on joints like your knees. This makes it more likely that you’ll develop osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, or make it worse if you already have it.
Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD occurs when your body begins depositing excess fat in your liver. It can lead to non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH), chronic inflammation that can do long-term damage to your liver.
Cancer. While the connection isn’t entirely understood, obesity is correlated with an increased risk of acquiring more than a dozen types of cancer. It also increases your risk of death from cancer by more than 50%.

What qualifies you for bariatric surgery?

Surgery requirements begin with establishing a diagnosis of class III obesity. That means that you either:

Have a BMI of 40 or higher. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way of estimating how much body fat you have based on your height-to-weight ratio. A score of 40 or higher is associated with a high risk of related diseases. It usually equates to about 100 lbs. overweight.
Have a BMI of at least 35 and at least one related health problem. A BMI of 35 without a related health problem is considered class II obesity.

The criteria are slightly higher for adolescents. An adolescent may be a candidate if they have:

BMI of at least 40 and an obesity-related medical condition.
BMI of at least 35 and a severe obesity-related medical condition.

While BMI is easily measured, you may have to take some medical tests to diagnose your obesity-related health conditions.

How is weight loss surgery performed?

Weight loss surgery is usually performed through minimally invasive methods (laparoscopic surgery). That means small incisions, faster healing and less pain and scarring than you would have with traditional open surgery.

Very rarely, some patients are better treated with open surgery due to their specific conditions.

Weight loss with bariatric surgery

Most people — about 90% — lose about 50% of their excess weight after bariatric surgery, and keep it off. Different procedures have slightly different results. The average weight loss after gastric bypass is about 70% of excess body weight.

After a duodenal switch, it’s about 80%. Weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy ranges between 30% and 80%. These results are measured after a period of 18 to 24 months.

Advantages of bariatric surgery

Significant, sustained weight loss. Surgery is the only treatment that has been proven effective for class III obesity over the long term.
Reduced hunger hormones and improved metabolism. Surgery is the only obesity treatment that rewires your body’s metabolic programming after obesity to prevent weight regain.
Cholesterol and blood sugar management. Weight loss surgery often causes remission of diabetes symptoms and allows people with various metabolic syndromes to discontinue medications.
A longer, healthier life. In addition to reducing diseases and discomforts related to obesity, weight loss surgery can actually extend your life. Large scientific studies have shown that bariatric surgery reduces the risks of death from any cause by over 40%.

Recovery from surgery

You will likely spend a few days recovering in the hospital, then a few weeks recovering at home before you feel ready to go back to work. You may need to avoid strenuous activity for up to six weeks, and it may take up to 12 weeks to resume a normal diet.

A note from Monterrey Bariatric Center

“Bariatric surgery offers a much-needed, long-term solution to a difficult, progressive disease. Obesity is very hard to beat, and without intervention, it has heavy effects on your health, quality of life and lifespan”. Says Dr. Jesus Abraham Vega from Monterrey Bariatric Center. “Bariatric surgery can change the biological factors that make it so hard for people with obesity to lose weight and keep it off”.

Bariatric Surgery