Being overweight can make it difficult to do many everyday tasks. Whether it is shoveling snow, vacuuming, or just trying to keep up with your kids, extra pounds make the simplest actions difficult. For those who are morbidly obese, the inability to function in day-to-day activities can be a small concern compared to underlying health risks.

“People with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher are at serious risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart disease and some types of cancer,” says Amy Huseby, PA-C, Park Nicollet Bariatric Surgery Center. “Bariatric surgery can help reduce those risks and, in some cases, eliminate the need for diabetes and heart medication.”

Other conditions that may improve after weight-loss surgery include sleep apnea, female infertility and osteoarthritis, known as “wear and tear” within weight-bearing joints. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), bariatric surgery often leads to these and other results for patients:

• high cholesterol may improve by 70 percent or more
• type 2 diabetes may improve by 77 percent
• high blood pressure may improve by 62 percent
• sleep apnea may improve by 86 percent

Permanent solutions
Although health can temporarily be improved through other means, for some, surgery is the only way to achieve permanent wellness. “Bariatric surgery is much more effective than diet and exercise alone,” Huseby says. “Because it’s a long-term adjustment, it helps patients focus on lifestyle changes needed to maintain a healthier weight.” Before deciding on bariatric surgery, many of Huseby’s patients found they regained all weight lost through traditional means of diets and exercise.

Bariatric surgery is able to provide consistent, long-term weight loss because it alters the digestive tract or changes the size of the stomach, depending on which procedure a patient chooses. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the amount of calories the body ingests and absorbs by creating a small gastric pouch and a “bypass” around the lower portion of the stomach and small intestine. It may be an option for people with morbid obesity who prefer a permanent surgical solution and rapid weight loss.

Adjustable gastric band surgery, also an option for people with morbid obesity, places a specialized band around the top portion of the stomach. It is connected by tubing to a port attached to the abdominal wall and allows for adjustments – increasing the volume in the band limits the amount of food that can be ingested. The procedure is less complex than gastric bypass and works best for people who prefer a reversible procedure with a lower complication profile. Adjustable gastric band provides a more moderate weight loss than gastric bypass surgery.

“Bariatric surgery is not an ‘easy way out’,” says Huseby. “Patients go through intense pre- and post-operative education and make a commitment to life-long adjustments. Surgery is just the tool that allows patients to do all the hard work.”

To find out how bariatric surgery can benefit you, contact Park Nicollet Bariatric Surgery Center at 952-993-3180 or click here to register online to attend a group information session.