Lose 75% of Your Weight Through Weight Loss Surgery

Obesity is a growing problem in the developing world, and different solutions are being explored to combat this. One of these solutions is found in the different forms of weight loss surgery. Thanks to gastric sleeve surgery, for instance, patients can now lose as much as 75% to 80% of their excess  body weight. That is a significant amount of weight loss, particularly when you consider that around 75% of total weight loss is achieved in the first year following the procedure itself. And it gets better, so long as a patient doesn’t experience any complications, and strictly follows the guidelines of their physician and nutritionist, they may lose up to 90% of their excess weight just five years after having had the surgery.

The Benefits of Rapid Weight Loss

We are often told that rapid weight loss is not good for us. While this is true in regular, healthy individuals, it isn’t for the obese. By quickly lowering their weight so that they fall in a normal range of BMI, they made sure that they reduce their chances of development many other diseases, some of which are fatal. Common diseases associated with obesity include:

• Sleep apnea.
• Joint pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Acid reflux.

All of these can be fully resolved by losing weight. Additionally, sustained weight loss prevents people from developing dangerous diseases such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and more. One study looked at 500 individual patients, and it was found that, in 96% of cases, other health conditions were resolved or improved.

Although the gastric sleeve is a procedure that has the potential to save lives, it is not one without risk. Around one in every 300 people who have the procedure will die as a result of surgery. Often, this is due to various complications. This is why the surgery will only be offered to those with a low complications rate, or to those who are so severely obese that they have started to develop dangerous comorbidity disorders like heart problems or type 2 diabetes.

Once you have had surgery, you have to take it easy for a while. You must make sure that the incision site is properly protected. This means, for instance, no heavy lifting for a while, as this could rupture the wound. At the same time, you must remember that you have had surgery, which means there are wounds, and wounds can become infected. Making sure you protect yourself from that is hugely important. Proper hygiene is vital, and some people have even asked people not to enter their homes until they have washed their hands with an alcohol rub. This may seem a bit excessive, but if there is any reason why you may be at increased risk of infection, it may be necessary while your wounds heal.

When reading through potential complications, it often sounds as if the entire procedure is a bad idea (have you ever read the side effects on any medication?). However, if a surgeon agrees that you are a good candidate, it means that the benefits of the surgery by far outweigh the potential risks.