Laparoscopic Surgeries For Obesity!

Obesity is one of the biggest menaces that can jeopardize a person's happy life. From mood swings to fertility problems as well as a myriad of health complications, obesity can make life miserable. Children and young teenagers seem to bear most of the brunt. The situation turns extremely complicated when a person suffers from Morbid Obesity or severe obesity. Morbid obesity is a condition where a person's body weight is found to be nearly 100 pounds more than the healthy body weight. Morbid obesity, if not treated on time, can prove to be fatal.

Laparoscopic surgery comes as a blessing when most of the other weight loss programs fail to produce any positive outcome. There are many options available such as the Laparoscopic Gastric Banding, the Gastric Bypass as well as the Malabsorption operations to aid a severely obese person to lose weight effectively.

i) The Laparoscopic Gastric Banding
The Laparoscopic Gastric Banding is a surgical procedure extensively used to lose weight.

1. First, the surgeon makes small incisions, around 3-4, in the belly (as part of a laparoscopic surgery).
2. Through these incisions, an adjustable silicone band is placed around the stomach (upper half), compartmentalizing the stomach into a smaller upper half and a bigger lower half.
3. The insertion of a silicone band significantly reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold to about an ounce.
4. A person thus eats only a limited amount of food, which passes to the rest of the stomach (for the digestion and other associated process) via an opening in the band.
5. Saline may be added to or removed from the band using a plastic tube (the tube runs from the band to an injection port, placed under the skin).
6. The saline helps to keep the silicone band tight or loose as and when required.
7. Many people have been able to lose weight using the laparoscopic gastric banding.

ii) Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery
The laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery involves two steps.

1. The first part involves dividing the stomach into small upper half or pouch, almost walnut-sized, that can hold a limited amount of food (not more than an ounce) and a bigger lower half.
2. The next is the bypass step, where the surgeon will link a tiny hole in the pouch to a small part of the jejunum (small intestine). The limited amount of food that you eat will directly pass from the pouch into the opening on the jejunum.

A surgeon may also carry out the gastric bypass through an open surgery, but the laparoscopic surgery is a much better option.

iii) A person can also opt for Laparoscopic Malabsorption surgery.

1. The surgery involves reducing the stomach size to a great extent.
2. In addition to this, a large part of the intestine may also be bypassed.
3. This arrangement ensures that there is a significant reduction in the calories absorbed from the intestine.
4. Laparoscopic surgeries for obesity are not only minimally invasive but also cost-effective. The recovery is also quick with reduced chances of an infection.