Obesity is a prevalent condition, and you don’t have to fight it alone. When diet and exercise haven't worked, or when you have major health problems because of your weight, bariatric surgery may be an option. Oklahoma City offers various weight loss surgery options, also known as metabolic surgery, to help individuals achieve significant and lasting weight loss. This article explores these options, including the types of surgeries available, the benefits and risks associated with them, and the comprehensive care offered by various medical centers in the Oklahoma City area.
Understanding Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgeries are weight-loss surgeries. They may also be called metabolic surgery. Bariatric and metabolic surgery is the field of medicine focused on obesity and its causes, co-morbidities, prevention, and treatments. These procedures work by reducing your stomach capacity or your ability to absorb calories, leading to weight loss and improved health outcomes. Bariatric surgery is done only when diet and exercise haven't worked, or when you have major health problems because of your weight.
Types of Bariatric Surgeries Offered in Oklahoma City
Several types of bariatric surgeries are available in Oklahoma City, each with its own advantages and considerations. Some of the common surgeries include:
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery involves removing a large portion of the stomach, creating a smaller, sleeve-shaped stomach. This reduces the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner, leading to weight loss.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery involves creating a small stomach pouch and connecting it directly to the small intestine, bypassing a portion of the stomach and small intestine. This reduces the amount of food you can eat and the number of calories your body absorbs.
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Gastric Band Surgery (LAP-BAND®)
Gastric band surgery, also known as LAP-BAND® surgery, involves placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach, creating a smaller pouch. This restricts the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner.
The LAP-BAND® Procedure: A Detailed Look
The surgical weight loss team at SSM Health offers the LAP-BAND® procedure performed in their state-of-the-art surgery center by board-certified surgeons. If you’re looking for a surgical weight loss solution that’s low risk, adjustable, and reversible, consider the LAP-BAND®.
Benefits of the LAP-BAND® Procedure
The LAP-BAND® offers several potential benefits:
- Minimally Invasive: The LAP-BAND® is performed laparoscopically through several small incisions less than an inch in length. Smaller incisions take less time to heal and are more likely to heal without complications. They also mean less pain. It requires no stomach stapling, stomach cutting, or intestinal re-routing.
- Low Risk for Complications: Because LAP-BAND® is performed laparoscopically and doesn’t involve stapling, cutting, or re-routing, the risk for complications is reduced. Every surgery carries risk, so you want a surgery with the lowest possible risk for complications.
- Doesn’t Affect the Digestive Process: Some surgical weight loss options re-route food so it bypasses certain digestive enzymes, which leaves the digestive process incomplete. While this results in weight loss, it can also cause malnutrition. The LAP-BAND® solution doesn’t affect the digestive process. Everything you eat is digested, and the nutrients are absorbed, so you get the nutrition you need to stay healthy and active.
- Fully Adjustable: Just as you are unique as a person, your body’s response to weight loss surgery will be unique - and you need a weight-loss solution that can be adjusted accordingly. Pregnant patients, those with slowed weight loss, or new health concerns all need to make adjustments in their weight loss system. It’s important that the solution you select can be adjusted. LAP-BAND® is the only option that can be adjusted without additional surgery. Adjustments are usually carried out in the doctor’s office. A fine needle is passed through the skin into the access port to add or subtract saline. This process most often takes only a few minutes, and most patients say it is nearly painless. There are no restrictions based on the access port. It is placed under the skin in the abdominal wall, and once the incisions have healed, it should not cause discomfort or limit any physical exercise. The only sensation you may experience from the port occurs when you go in for adjustments.
- Reversible: Most weight loss surgeries create a permanent change that cannot be reversed. In contrast, LAP-BAND® can be removed, and in most cases, the stomach returns to its original form. Surgeons report that the stomach generally returns to its original shape once the band is removed. After the removal, though, you may soon go back up to your original weight. That is not always the case.
Risks of the LAP-BAND® Surgery
Every surgery carries risks, and weight loss surgery is no exception. It’s important for you to be aware of these risks and then discuss them with your SSM Health surgeon so you can make an informed decision. Being overweight adds to the risks associated with surgery. Death during surgery is possible, but rare. Gastric perforation is possible, but rare. The LAP-BAND® System limits food intake. If you feel nauseated or sick on a regular basis, it may mean that you are not chewing your food well enough or that you are not following the diet rules properly. However, it could also mean that there is a problem with the placement of the band, so contact your doctor if this problem persists. Vomiting should be avoided as much as possible as it can cause the small stomach pouch to stretch. It can also lead to slippage of part of the stomach through the band and reduce the success of the operation.
Post-Surgery Expectations with LAP-BAND®
If LAP-BAND® Surgery is performed laparoscopically, patients typically spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. Weight-loss results vary from patient to patient, and the amount of weight you lose depends on several things. The band needs to be in the right position, and you need to be committed to your new lifestyle and eating habits. Weight loss surgery is not a miracle cure, and the pounds won’t come off by themselves. Surgeons have reported that gastric bypass patients lose weight faster in the first year. At five years, however, many LAP-BAND® patients have achieved weight loss equal to that of gastric bypass patients. Although the LAP-BAND® System is meant to be permanent, it can be removed laparoscopically in some cases. As a rule, plastic surgery will not be considered for at least a year or two after the operation as, sometimes the skin will mold itself around the new body tissue. This is a fairly common feeling, especially for people with bands that are tight or just after an adjustment. During the day the water content in the body changes and this may cause the band to feel “tighter” some of the time. The LAP-BAND® makes you eat less and feel full in two ways - first by reducing the capacity of your stomach and second by increasing the time it takes food to get through the digestive system. After a small meal, the amount of which varies from person to person, you should feel full. If you follow the nutrition guidelines when you choose your food and then chew it well, you should not feel hungry or deprived. Becoming pregnant can be easier as you lose weight. Your menstrual cycle may become more regular. If you need to eat more while you are pregnant, the band can be loosened. We recommend our patients take a daily multivitamin. It’s possible to not get enough vitamins from three small meals a day. You should be able to take prescribed medication, though you may need to use capsules, break big tablets in half or dissolve them in water so they do not get stuck in the stomach and make you sick. Always ask the doctor who prescribes the medication about this. Your surgeon may tell you to avoid taking aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers because they may irritate the stomach. Order only a small amount of food, such as an appetizer. Eat slowly. Finish at the same time as your table companions. Alcohol has a high number of calories and breaks down vitamins. After your stomach has healed, you may eat most foods that don’t cause you discomfort. However, because you can only eat a little it is important to include foods full of important vitamins and nutrients such as those recommended in the nutrition section of the booklet provided to patients and as advised by your surgeon and/or dietitian. There may be some reduction in the volume of your stools, which is normal after a decrease in food intake because you eat less fiber. This should not cause you severe problems. If difficulties do arise, check with your doctor.
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Comprehensive Care at Mercy Clinic Weight and Wellness
Here at Mercy Clinic Weight and Wellness, our mission is to help you reach your individual goals for leading a more fulfilling, productive, and joyful life. Sometimes that involves surgery, but sometimes it involves non-surgical weight loss options, such as prescription weight loss meds or changes to your diet. Choosing Mercy as your health care partner means having an engaged team of expert caregivers to help you manage your weight and wellness. We promise to provide non-judgmental care tailored to your unique needs and goals. Achieving your weight loss and wellness goals is an important part of a lifelong commitment to better health.
At Mercy, specialists conduct an in-depth consultation to see if bariatric surgery is right for you. They deal with the most complex cases in adults and will work closely with you to achieve long-lasting results. When you choose Mercy, you get a team of experts including endocrinologists, surgeons, dietitians, physical therapists, cardiologists, and psychologists who are dedicated to your long-term health. As you drop the pounds, they coordinate your care with your primary care doctor and any specialists to ensure your success. If you're considering bariatric weight loss surgery, you've come to the right place. Weight loss specialists will answer your questions and provide the best care, every step of the way.
OU Health Physicians Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program
The OU Health Physicians Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program in Oklahoma City is built on a passion for pursuing the most effective procedures and tools - using our strength as an academic medical system, and collaborating with research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to turn innovative science into long-lasting results. You benefit from experts with a variety of medical backgrounds to provide patients with comprehensive care and education as they begin the weight loss program. All patients are required to meet with the team for in-depth medical, nutritional, psychological, and physical therapy evaluations. The team will create a treatment plan that is tailored for patients to safely and effectively progress toward surgery. Find out more about OU Health Physicians bariatric surgery and how the program works at one of our informational seminars. These are held once a month at no cost to attendees and are open to everyone.
Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers and Blue Distinction Centers+ specializing in bariatric surgery offer quality care, treatment expertise, and better patient results. Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations' recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary.
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