Benefits of Surgery
Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For You?
Each year, thousands of people die from complications of morbid obesity. Statistics show that weight loss surgery may be the most effective treatment for morbidly obese people.
The 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association published the many advantages of weight loss surgery, including:
- 83.7% of Type II Diabetes cases are resolved, often within days of the surgery.
- Gastric bypass surgery successfully resolves more Type II Diabetes cases than purely restrictive procedures, such as adjustable gastric banding.
- Weight loss surgery results in substantial weight loss reduction: 61.6% of excess weight is lost.
- 96.9% of hyper-lipidemia cases are resolved.
- 87.1% of hypertension cases are resolved or improved.
- A substantial improvement in a patient’s overall quality of life: excess weight is lost, many weight –related health issues are resolved, improved appearance, improved social life, and improved chances to obtain and retain employment.
Other studies have implied that surgical weight loss may greatly reduce the risk of cancer, and resolve other related complications, including gastroesophageal reflux, sleep apnea syndrome, urinary stress incontinence, and high cholesterol.
Although surgical weight loss is a serious surgery, it is a growing treatment option for the morbidly obese. The life threatening health risks of morbid obesity compared to the relatively low risk and complications of weight loss surgery is one reason, as well as the ineffectiveness of non-surgical approaches such as diet and exercise. Non-surgical approaches result in approximately 10% long term weight loss, compared to a 60-80% excess weight loss with surgical procedures.
