Weight loss surgery can be a difficult subject to learn all at once. Below are some commonly asked questions and answers of typical patients.
- What are the benefits of surgical weight loss?
When combined with a comprehensive treatment plan, bariatric surgery may often act as an effective tool to provide you with long term weight-loss and help you increase your quality of health. Bariatric surgery has been shown to help improve or resolve many obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more. Frequently, individuals who improve their weight find themselves taking less and less medications to treat their obesity-related conditions.
Significant weight loss through bariatric surgery may also pave the way for many other exciting opportunities for you, your family, and most importantly – your health. - What kind of results can I expect?
Each of the procedures available at Lake Cumberland are capable of delivering phenomenal results. Generally speaking, our clients will lose approximately 50 percent of their excess body weight during the first six to 12 months following treatment. In all cases, however, success is highly dependent on a client's adherence to the postoperative instructions and lifestyle changes suggested by our surgeons and staff.
- Will my insurance cover the cost?
Although bariatric surgery is one of the only effective methods to lose weight and keep it off, not all insurance policies cover bariatric surgery.
- What is the recovery time for weight loss surgery?
Recovery time associated with bariatric surgery is generally minimal. Depending on the type of work, the majority of clients are able to return to work within one week following surgery. During the first two weeks post-op, clients may be asked to follow a strict liquid diet in order to allow the stomach to heal and then slowly progress from soft to solid foods.
- When can I begin exercising after surgery?
Right away! To start, you will take easy, short walks while you are in the hospital. The key is to start slow. Listen to your body and your surgeon. If you lift weights or do sports, stay “low impact” for the first month.
- Do most patients need to have plastic surgery, or skin removal surgery, after weight loss?
Some patients may choose to have plastic surgery after significant weight loss but this depends on many various factors.
- If my insurance company will not pay for the surgery, can I pay for the surgery myself?
We do offer bariatric surgery for patients who would like to pay out-of-pocket. Please contact us directly for a quote.
- What kinds of medications and/or vitamins will I need to take after surgery?
Many patients are able to stop using some medications such as those for diabetes or high blood-pressure if these health issues are directly related to their weight. It is recommended that bariatric surgery patients maintain a vitamin regiment indefinitely after their procedure.
- How does bariatric surgery work?
Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, works by changing the anatomy of your gastrointestinal tract (stomach and digestive system) or by causing different physiologic changes in your body that change your energy balance and fat metabolism. Regardless of which bariatric surgery procedure you and your surgeon decide is best for you, it is important to remember that bariatric surgery is a “tool.” Weight loss success also depends on many other important factors, such as nutrition, exercise, behavior modification, and more.
By changing your gastrointestinal anatomy, certain bariatric procedures affect the production of intestinal hormones in a way that reduces hunger and appetite and increases feelings of fullness (satiety). The end result is a reduction in the desire to eat and in the frequency of eating. Interestingly, these surgically-induced changes in hormones are opposite to those produced by dietary weight loss. Let‘s take a closer look at the differences in hormonal changes between surgery and dietary weight loss:
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Bariatric Surgery and Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes following bariatric surgery improve weight loss by maintaining or enhancing energy expenditure (calories burned). In fact, some surgeries even increase energy expenditure relative to changes in body size. Thus, unlike dietary weight loss, surgical weight loss has a higher chance of lasting because an appropriate energy balance is created. -
Dieting and Hormonal Changes
In dietary weight loss, energy expenditure is reduced to levels lower than would be predicted by weight loss and changes in body composition. This unbalanced change in energy can often lead to weight regain.
Significant weight loss is also associated with a number of other changes in your body that help to reduce defects in fat metabolism. With increased weight loss, you will find yourself engaging in more physical activity. Individuals who find themselves on a weight-loss trend often engage in physical activity, such as walking, biking, swimming, and more. Additionally, increased physical activity combined with weight loss may often improve your body‘s ability to burn fat, lead to a positive personal attitude, and decrease stress levels. Massive weight loss, as a result of bariatric surgery, also reduces hormones such as insulin (used to regulate sugar levels) and cortisol (stress hormone) and improves the production of a number of other factors that reduce the uptake and storage of fat into fat storage depots. Physical activity is also a very important component of combating obesity.
Bariatric surgery may improve a number of conditions and biological actions (hormonal changes) to reverse the progression of obesity. Bariatric surgery can be a useful tool to help you break the vicious weight gain cycle and help you achieve long-term weight loss and improve your overall quality of health and life.
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