About Weight Loss Surgery

The weight loss surgery options can seem overwhelming. Here is our guide.

Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is a type of surgery that can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. It works by restricting the amount of food you can eat or by malabsorbing nutrients from the food you do eat.

There are many different types of bariatric surgery, but the most common include:

  • Sleeve gastrectomy: In this procedure, the surgeon removes about 75% of the stomach, leaving a tube-shaped sleeve. This reduces the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner.

  • Gastric bypass: In this procedure, the surgeon creates a small pouch from the top of the stomach and connects it directly to the small intestine. This bypasses most of the stomach and small intestine, which reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of nutrients your body absorbs. There are 2 forms of gastric bypass – Omega Loop (also somewhat misnamed as ‘’Mini- Gastric Bypass) and Roux-en-Y bypass, both of which are very effective in weight loss

How Does Bariatric Surgery Work?

Bariatric surgery works by restricting the amount of food you can eat or by malabsorbing nutrients from the food you do eat.

Restriction: This involves making the stomach smaller so that it can hold less food. This can be done with a sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass

Malabsorption: This involves bypassing part of the small intestine so that your body absorbs fewer nutrients from the food you eat. This can be done with an Omega Loop or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Who is eligible for Bariatric Surgery

You may be eligible for bariatric surgery if you meet the following criteria:

(Recently updated following a statement from the International Federation of Surgical Obesity)

  • You have a BMI of 35 or higher
  • You have a BMI of 30 or higher with type 2 diabetes
  • You have a BMI of 30-35 and unable to lose substantial weight or have durable weight loss or resolution of co-morbidities with non-surgical means
  • You are at least 18 years old
  • You are willing to make lifestyle changes, such as following a healthy diet and exercise

What are the benefits of bariatric Surgery?

Bariatric surgery can help you lose significant weight and improve your overall health. Studies have shown that bariatric surgery can:

  • Reduce your risk of death by up to 50%
  • Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer
  • Improve your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels
  • Reduce your symptoms of sleep apnea
  • Improve your mental health and quality of life

What are the risks of bariatric surgery

Like any surgery, bariatric surgery carries some risks. These risks include:

  • Leak from the stomach or intestine
  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • Blood clot
  • Nutritional deficiency
  • Strictures (narrowing of the stomach or intestines)
  • Stomach ulcer

Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery with you in more detail before you make a decision about whether or not to have surgery.

How do I choose a surgeon?

It is important to choose a bariatric surgeon who is experienced and qualified. You can ask your doctor for a referral, or you can search for bariatric surgeons in your area online.

Once you have found a few potential surgeons, schedule consultations with them. This will give you a chance to learn more about them and their approach to bariatric surgery. You should also ask them about their experience with the type of surgery you are interested in.

What to expect after bariatric surgery?

Most people spend two to three days in the hospital after bariatric surgery. You will then need to follow a strict diet for several weeks. It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions carefully to ensure a safe and successful recovery.

In the first two weeks after surgery, you will likely be on a liquid diet. You will then gradually transition to a soft food diet, and then to a regular diet. It is important to eat small, frequent meals and to avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat.

You will also need to exercise regularly after bariatric surgery. Exercise helps to burn calories and promote weight loss. It also helps to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Patient Stories

Conclusion

Bariatric surgery can be a safe and effective way to lose weight and improve your overall health. If you are considering bariatric surgery, talk to your doctor to see if it is right for you.

As cliche as it sounds, at SBC we genuinely care about every patient that walks through our door. We strive to create a supportive environment so that you can achieve long-term success.

We believe that:
1. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and related medical conditions

Losing significant weight (more than 50% of one’s excess weight) is extremely difficult due to the body’s defense mechanisms. Bariatric surgery has been shown to be more than 90% successful in getting significant weight off (50 – 100% of excess body weight) after two years.

2. Surgery can reverse serious medical effects of obesity such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea and many other conditions
  • Type 2 diabetes – The Australian Diabetic Council recommends surgery as the only effective treatment of type 2 diabetes when associated with obesity.
  • Sleep Apnoea – one of the most significant health complications of obesity is sleep apnoea which results in poor quality sleep, daytime tiredness and fatigue and even more seriously the long term implications of oxygen deprivation whilst asleep such as heart disease and dementia.
  • Hypertension – high blood pressure leads to heart disease, kidney failure and strokes amongst other conditions. Hypertension is most commonly associated with being overweight and obese. After bariatric surgery, most patients achieve a reduction in hypertension. Many patients discontinue their blood pressure medications.
  • Depression – issues relating to poor self-esteem and social withdrawal may be substantially improved once one loses a significant amount of weight. Often an unwanted side effect of antidepressant medications is weight gain. Bariatric surgery can help overcome this problem.
  • Chronic knee and back pain – chronic pain in the back and knees is common when carrying excess weight. Often this manifests in the later years of life and can be one of the most debilitating aspects of health when you reach 50+ years (sometimes earlier). Often after having bariatric surgery, knee and hip replacements can be avoided later in life.

Why choose Us?

Choosing to have bariatric surgery is a big decision. Firstly, it takes a lot of courage to decide to get bariatric surgery in the first place. It can also be overwhelming because there are so many variations of surgeries offered and it is difficult to know where to start.

Calling around to different clinics will help you get a feel for the place and their approach to bariatric surgery. Some reasons why you would pick to have your surgery at SBC:

  • We care about every single person that walks through our doors and go above and beyond to satisfy our patients
  • We are non-judgemental. We know everyone has a story and that there are so many factors that contribute to weight gain
  • Our multidisciplinary team has been working together for many years with thousands of success stories
  • We have many patients who have had surgery at our clinic and are so happy with their results and are happy to talk to you if you are considering Bariatric surgery (we do not give them anything for doing this. They do it because of how satisfied they are)
  • Both Dr Ryan and Dr Jameson have achieved Surgeon of Excellence status in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
  • SBC are committed to providing safe and best practices in surgery
  • SBC has been recognised as an International Centre of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery

Contact us to find out more about our practice and if bariatric surgery is for you. We look forward to meeting you and working with you to start your new life.

Multi-disciplinary approach

At SBC, we take a multidisciplinary approach when it comes to bariatric surgery. Like in many other areas in medicine, the best outcomes rely on expertise from various disciplines. Treatment is not just surgery alone. Diet and nutrition, exercise physiology and psychology also have a big influence on your weight loss success. SBC’s comprehensive approach to the management of our patients is unique with the integral involvement of the anesthetist, surgeon, physician, dietitian, physiotherapist and allied staff. Working together, your health care team provides a safe and high-quality service that ensures you achieve the best results possible.

Overview