What are the benefits of weight loss surgery?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:What's amazing about weight loss surgery is that changes in risk factors like hypertension, cholesterol, and especially diabetes start immediately in the days after surgery—before the significant weight loss even starts. (I know, this sounds like a tabloid headline: Drop Your Cholesterol in Half! By 3 P.M.!).
Why? Your body—the smart little devil that it is—senses that the trend of weight gain or loss is more important than your actual body weight; for these risk factors, it's not necessarily your waist size or how much you weigh that influences the risks, but which direction your body is heading. Again and again, I've seen patients discontinue their insulin and hypertension drugs one month or less after surgery.
Right after you undergo a bariatric procedure, your body starts behaving the way a normal body might behave, such as regulating the ghrelin (hungry hormone) and leptin (feel-full hormone) cycle to signal satiety and appetite. One patient told her surgeon that she was sure that he had operated on her brain, not her stomach, because the voice that continually told her she was hungry was turned off for the very first time in her life. Weight loss surgery may also work by decreasing markers of inflammation in your blood (like C-reactive protein) almost immediately. No matter the mechanisms, the effects are clear—and they happen quickly.
What's amazing about weight loss surgery is that changes in risk factors like hypertension, cholesterol, and especially diabetes start immediately in the days after surgery—before the significant weight loss even starts. (I know, this sounds... More -
Dr. Robin Miller answered:When a patient undergoes weight loss surgery, the benefits can be immediate especially for those with diabetes. Blood pressure, blood sugar, and even cholesterol levels often become normalized. Sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux often improve or resolve. Weight loss is rapid and generally continues provided that the patient is compliant with his or her diet and exercise regimen.
Although in the past doctors thought that diabetes improved or was cured due to the dramatic weight loss, many patients have been able to stop their medications before they even leave the hospital so that cannot be the whole story. There is ongoing research to help explain this phenomenon, which may help doctors come up with potential cures for diabetes.
What we do know is that for some people weight loss surgery can be life saving. However, it is not without risk. Those who have surgery must adopt dietary changes and an exercise program for life. They also need to be faithful when it comes to taking their vitamins. That is why it is so important that prior to surgery patients undergo psychological evaluation, exercise and nutritional education and training and understand that this is a lifetime commitment.When a patient undergoes weight loss surgery, the benefits can be immediate especially for those with diabetes. Blood pressure, blood sugar, and even cholesterol levels often become normalized. Sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux often improve... More -
Dr. Stuart Linder answered:Weight loss surgery may reduce many of your serious medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea, and gastric reflux disease. Patients whom undergo bariatric surgery often have incredible weight loss and have a great reduction in systemic medical conditions. Some diabetics and hypertensive patients may eventually be taken off their specific medications.Weight loss surgery may reduce many of your serious medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea, and gastric reflux disease. Patients whom undergo bariatric surgery often have incredible weight loss... More
