Bariatric Surgery: Pros and Cons
If you live in Perth and you’ve decided it’s time to take control of your obesity and health problems and are considering your medical weight loss options, you’re in good hands.
At Perth Weight Loss and Surgery we provide a number of different procedures to best suit a variety of health circumstances.
While it’s essential to have a consultation with our experts, here are some of the pros and cons of the various procedures we provide to bariatric patients.
Please note – our experts will always make sure your risks are minimised with careful preparation and care, explain all procedures and associated risks with you in full and will only perform surgery where the risk greatly outweighs the benefit.
Lap Band Surgery
What is it?
Placing an adjustable silicon band around the upper part of your stomach to form a small pouch. This restricts the amount you can eat and produces early satiety. It is adjustable and can be configured to best suit each individual’s requirements.
Pros:
- Safe, low risk of complication, speedy recovery
- Minimal scarring and a short procedure of 30 to 45 minutes
- Fully reversible Doesn’t involve dividing or removing any part of your stomach or intestine
Cons:
- Reduces quality of eating
- Potential band slippage or erosion
- Small risk of access port flipping
- Minimal risk of oesophageal dilatation
- 15 to 30% of patients will need some form of revisional surgery
Gastric Bypass Surgery
What is it?
The stomach is partitioned to a smaller size and the small bowel is re-routed to this new gastric pouch, reducing the volume of the stomach by up to 90%.
Pros:
- Long-standing information and results
- 80 to 90% excess weight loss, most in the first year
- Up to 90% control and potentially cure Type-2 diabetes
- Good control of reflux
- Feelings of satiety, ‘feeling full’, occurs after much less food
- Very minimal (2-4%) complication risk
- Quick recovery, usually just two nights in the hospital
Cons:
- Small risk of ulcer in the new joint (anastomosis)
- Minimal risk of Dumping syndrome (see our related blog)
- Slight internal hernia risk
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
What is it?
A keyhole surgery where a large portion of the stomach is permanently removed, reducing its size by 15%, leaving you with feelings of satiety after less food has been consumed.
Pros:
- Still provides good-quality of eating
- 60 to 70% excess weight loss possible long-term
- Improve Type-2 Diabetes by 70 to 80% or potentially cure
- Continuity of the gastrointestinal tract is maintained
- Very minimal 2% complication risk
- Quick recovery, just two nights in the hospital
Cons:
- A 2% risk of leakage from the staple line
- Can cause reflux in 10 to 20% of patients
SADI-S/SIPS Surgery
What is it?
Sleeve gastrectomy along with surgery to reroute the small intestine, produces malabsorption to effect weight loss. It has been performed globally for over two decades with good long-term outcomes.
Pros:
- Good control for diabetes, greater than 95%, and other obesity-related illnesses
- Significant weight loss, in some cases in-excess of 80-90% body weight
- Very low incidence of Dumping syndrome (see our related blog)
- Minimal risk of ulceration at the new joint (anastomosis)
Cons:
- Natural increase in malabsorption, requiring dietary supplements
- Regular, long term follow up
- Fat malabsorption can affect bowel motions
SASI-S Surgery
What is it?
A combination of a sleeve gastrectomy and an intestinal bypass, causing roughly half of consumed food to bypass the first part of the small intestine, reducing absorption of fats and sugars. Slow digestion of food in the small intestine stimulates the release of intestinal hormones, which tells your brain to stop eating.
Many studies show that SASI-S bariatric surgery can provide greater weight loss when compared to a standard sleeve gastrectomy, or a traditional gastric bypass.
Pros:
- Reduces hunger
- Less risk of nutritional deficiencies
- Benefits of the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass
- Good quality eating
- Continuity of gastrointestinal tract is maintained
- 70 to 90% diabetes control
- Access to bile duct remains, if in the future gallstones need to be removed
- Less risk of an internal hernia
- Can be reversed back to a gastric sleeve
Cons:
- Increased risk of bile reflux into the stomach
- Weight loss may be less than SADI-S or one anastomosis gastric bypass
- Small risk of an ulcer forming at the join between the stomach and the small intestine
- Relatively new operation with limited long-term documentation
Caution Over Miracle Cures
Unfortunately, the weight-loss industry attracts unqualified solutions and providers who claim to have the latest, easy fix to your dilemma. When you hear about something that seems easy and too good to be true – then it probably is.
One example is the temporary balloon pill, which we do not recommend as an effective long-term solution. This pill promises to expand into a gastric balloon once swallowed, to be excreted months later.
Before taking an option like this, please discuss your health with a qualified, reputable bariatric surgeon.
Real Results
Book a consultation with Mr Siva Gounder and our Perth Weight Loss and Surgery team today.
We have a holistic team including dietitians and exercise physiologists, so we are with you every step of the way, in the most supportive way possible.
Find out how we can help make your health dreams a reality.
