Long Term Effect Of Weight Loss Surgery

Losing weight through surgery can change your psychological, physiological, and metabolical health drastically. There are my kinds of surgeries that can make you lighter and slimmer, be it cutting out the fat cells of the body or reducing the size of your stomach. No matter which way you reduce weight, the long-term effects are almost the same for all of these cases.

A Look At The Long-term Benefits And Risks Of Weight Loss Surgery

Let’s start with the benefits :

After having weight loss surgery, you’ll need to make healthy lifestyle changes to lose weight and to keep the weight off after surgery. Most people see major improvements in their overall health after they’ve cured their weight-related health conditions.

Lower Blood Pressure – One of the most common health improvements is lowering the risk of high blood pressure. Your doctor may bring down your blood pressure medication doses over time or even say that you don’t need to take them anymore. If you have normal blood pressure, it can help you in lowering the chances of a heart attack or a stroke.

Improved Diabetic Health – Another major benefit of weight reduction surgery is that it improves or even resolves type 2 diabetes. You need to take less to no diabetes medication after surgery, which is a result will lower your chance of having damages to your heart, kidneys, blood vessels, nerves, and eyes. 

You Can Sleep Better – If you suffer from sleep apnoea, the symptoms such as insomnia, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, irritability, and headaches may greatly improve after having your weight loss surgery. Your sleep apnoea may even go away completely.

Lower Cholesterol – Weight reduction surgery is also reflected in lower cholesterol levels in your body. This means you will have an improved cardiovascular system and a very minimal chance of having a heart attack. Many have stated that they happened to lower the dosage of cholesterol medications or some even don’t need it at all.

Less Joint Pain – Losing weight after a weight loss surgery puts much less stress on your joints, especially the ones suffering from arthritis or osteoporosis. You will be able to move more effortlessly. Also, you’ll feel less tired while having exercises and joint pain will no longer be a hindrance towards leading a healthy and vigorous life. 

Other Benefits -There are numerous other benefits of weight reduction surgery besides minimizing your major health risks. Almost all patients tell us that their overall quality of life greatly improves after the surgery. You will feel more energetic. Your belly will feel fuller than usual. In time you will become more confident, which can help elevate your social stature.

Risks Of Weight Loss Surgeries :

Now that we have discussed some of the benefits of the surgery, let’s talk about some of the risks, complications, or problems which can happen to virtually anyone. Remember that with proper treatment and diet almost all of the undermentioned problems can be cured.

Developing Ulcer – One of the more common risks after having a weight loss surgery is developing an ulcer. An ulcer is a bruised area inside your stomach where the protective lining has been damaged by the stomach acid. People may feel a painful sensation just below their rib cage. Usually, these ulcers will heal with the right medications within a few months. For people who smoke or drink alcohol too often than usual or take any kind of anti-inflammatory medications, the risk of forming an ulcer increases over time. So you must quit smoking, stop drinking and avoid anti-inflammatory medications as soon as possible. 

Chance Of Stricture – Another possible risk of weight reduction surgery is known as ‘Stricture’. A stricture happens when the small hole connecting the new stomach bag to the small intestine becomes too thick or narrow, which makes it difficult for food or water to get through. People usually feel the uneasiness to get the food down their throats sometimes. They usually vomit when this happens. A short surgery can be performed to make the passageway wider. 

Gastric Leak – A gastric leak is another possible complication, it happens when food contents in the stomach into the intestine. This rare and serious complication happens most often within the first two weeks after surgery and the risk gets smaller over time. Still, there are patients who have suffered from this problem long after the surgery. If it does happen, you may have a headache, fever, and stomach pain. Sometimes you may need another procedure to patch the leak.

Suffering Deficiencies – Having weight loss surgery changes the way people eat and how their body absorbs the food. You could get vitamin and mineral deficiencies after a long time since the surgery. To prevent serious malnutrition and health risks such as frail bones, iron deficiency, or loss of eyesight, you need to take vitamin and mineral supplements daily for the rest of your life.

Loose And Wrinkled Skin – Losing a large amount of weight can cause your skin to loosen over time. The amount of loose skin is different for everyone and there’s no way to know when or how your skin is going to get wrinkled. Unfortunately, exercises will not help overcome this. Some people may not see it as a big problem, but for others, it can be quite unsettling. You can have excess skin removed, but in most cases, this procedure is not permanent. 

Psychological Problems – Losing weight from surgery can be very stressful on some and it may trigger some mental health deteriorations, especially for people who have had similar challenges before such as depression, anger issues, or anxiety. People who have weight loss surgery are prone to develop drug addictions. This includes both soft and hard drugs. This is one of the reasons it is always advised to drink less alcohol and smokeless. 

Conclusion

Now that we’ve covered the most common long-term benefits and risks of weight loss surgery, it is important to remember that every person’s experience with surgery is unique. You will always need to consider your specific situation and review your benefits and risks before having weight loss surgery.