Long-Term Weight Loss Is Associated with Improvements in Health
Perhaps what is most important to note is that clinical studies have shown weight loss surgery to be successful in achieving substantial, long-term weight loss, as well as marked improvements in weight-related health conditions. In one study that examined how the adjustable gastric band procedure using the LAP- BAND® System affected diabetes in severely obese, type 2 diabetic adults, patients experienced progressive weight loss over the first two to three years. After two years, the average percentage of excess weight loss was better than 50 percent. The weight loss significantly improved all measures of glucose metabolism with the remission of diabetes occurring in 64 percent of patients. Additionally, weight loss was associated with significant improvements in cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, sleep, depression and overall quality of life. The results of this study are mirrored in numerous others. Within the first two years of surgery, you can realistically expect to drop half of your excess weight.
You can also expect to keep the pounds off in the long-term— if you do the work. Surgery is one part of an overall treatment plan, and reaching a healthier weight requires a great many behavioral changes. Whether surgery succeeds is largely dependent upon your commitment to lifestyle changes afterward.
Weight Loss Surgery Options
Currently, the procedures fall into three major categories.
1. Restrictive Procedures
In these operations, a surgeon creates a small pouch about the size of a walnut, at the top of the stomach where food enters from the esophagus. The pouch holds approximately 2 ounces of food. The lower outlet in the pouch is usually half an inch in diameter or even smaller. This tiny outlet slows the emptying of food from the pouch to the larger area of the stomach. This creates a prolonged sense of fullness with very little food.
