What is stomach reduction surgery? Everything you need to know

The stomach reduction surgery is one of the most effective solutions for those who are overweight and have not been able to lose weight in any way.

Although it requires special care and carries certain risks, it is by far the most effective alternative to lose weight quickly and deal with all the health problems it causes.

There are many types of weight reduction surgeriesSome are more complex than others depending on the degree of obesity of the patient and his or her medical history. Are you interested in knowing each one? Then read on.

What is stomach reduction surgery?

The stomach reduction surgery is a bariatric surgeryThe weight loss operation, that is, an operation to lose weight, consists of making cuts in parts of the stomach and intestine. In essence, the operation changes the way your body processes food. 

Normally, food travels through the digestive tract and takes time to be processed by the stomach before passing into the intestine.

During this process, the stomach accumulates vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, but also sugars and calories, the latter are the ones that generally make you put on weight when you consume large quantities.

The surgery, by making your stomach smaller, prevents your body from absorbing many of these calories and sugars, and reduces your appetite, all of which will help you lose weight.

Also, by having a smaller stomach, you will get fuller faster when eating and feel satisfied with less food.

Why is stomach reduction surgery performed?

Surgery is applied to morbidly obese patients, when the weight problem cannot be solved with conventional methods such as change of eating habits, diet or physical exercise.

In addition, it is an option for patients with serious health problems caused by excess weight. 

If you suffer from diabetes or hypertension because you are overweight or you have not been able to reduce your weight in any conventional way, it is probably advisable that you go to an bariatric who will tell you which stomach reduction surgery is the most appropriate in your case.

What are the risks?

The stomach reduction surgery is a delicate procedure, especially for the postoperative stage, since you will have to follow a strict diet and you will need a series of cares that will be defined by your bariatric surgeon. Beyond this, the operation is quick and simple; although there are risks, it is not common to have serious problems.

Some of the risks after your surgery could be:

• Slight: heartburn, nausea or diarrhea after eating, especially if you eat too much or eat too fast.
• Media: gastritis, malabsorption of nutrients.
• Graves: blood clots, injury to the stomach or poor healing, infection in the surgical cuts.
• Very serious: internal bleeding, intestinal obstruction and depression after surgery.

Tips to avoid risks?

• Go to a good specialist: it is very important that you go to a specialist experienced in this type of procedure.
• Mentalize yourself: something that is rarely mentioned and that is just as valuable, is your mental health. The operation is a crucial step, it will change your lifestyle for the better, but you must keep this in mind and make sure you want to take the step and commit to the process.
• The recovery process continues in earnest: After the operation, you should change your diet, get new clothes (to fit your new weight) and possibly take supplements to supplement your nutrition. Beyond this, your bariatric surgeon will indicate what you should do.  

What types of stomach reduction surgeries are there?

There are two main surgeries to reduce the stomach, the gastric sleeve and the gastric bypass, each one has its particular characteristics, but both are efficient and safe.

Gastric sleeve

The gastric sleeve or vertical gastrectomy is a weight loss operation that consists in cutting the stomach in two parts. An important part, about 80% of the stomach volume is removed and with the other part a long duct is created. 

The stomach will be smaller than the original and will be in the shape of a banana or sleeve, hence the name.

Advantages

• It does not change the digestive system: It is the most common weight loss surgery and is preferred by many surgeons because it is non-invasive, it does not completely change the digestive system, it only reduces the stomach and the post-surgical recovery is fast.
• You will have no problem absorbing vitamins: There is no risk of malabsorptive disorders after surgery, i.e., that you will not absorb vitamins properly when you eat.
• It is a quick operation: the procedure only takes about 1 hour
• You feel almost no hunger: Production of the hormone ghrelin, which drives the urge to eat, is reduced.
• You can lose up to 40 kg of excess weight.

Disadvantages

• Changes take time to be seen: It will take 1 to 2 years to see major physical changes in your body.
• It is irreversible: When the surgeon makes the cut, you will lose the part of the stomach that is removed, that is, the operation is irreversible.

Gastric bypass

The gastric bypass or Roux-en-Y is a weight loss surgery that consists of dividing the stomach in two. A small upper part of the stomach will become a pouch and the larger part, the rest of the stomach will be isolated from the digestive tract.

The small pouch will function as a new stomach and will be connected directly to the middle part of the small intestine. 

To make it simpler, the stomach will be in the shape of a "Y", to shorten the path, the small stomach will send the processed food directly to the middle of the intestine.

The other part of the stomach will be isolated and connected to the upper part of the small intestine. 

Advantages

• Immediate results: just a month or two after the operation, you will see the results in your body. You will lose weight quickly.
• It is reversible: is the only bariatric surgery that is reversible, it can be reversed to return the stomach to its previous state.
• Reduce your desire to eat: This operation decreases the production of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for making you want to eat.
• Great weight loss: with bypass you can lose about 80% of excess weight, about 50 to 60 kg in total. This implies a radical change between the before and after gastric bypass.

Disadvantages

• It is a complex operation: the procedure takes about 2 hours to perform.
• Change the functioning of your digestive system: the bypass partly modifies your digestive processes, therefore, you will need a strict diet and some foods will be processed differently. In addition, recovery is slower.
• Malabsorptive disorder: you may have problems absorbing some vitamins, if so, you should take vitamin supplements to supplement your diet.

For whom is stomach reduction surgery recommended?

The stomach reduction surgery is recommended for any person, adult or adolescent suffering from obesity (with a Body Mass Index over 30), especially if conventional methods such as dieting or exercise do not work.

However, before deciding to undergo a specific procedure, it is essential that you visit a bariatric surgeon who will analyze your health conditions and determine whether you can safely undergo one of these procedures.

In addition, your bariatric surgeon will tell you which of all the procedures within bariatric surgery is ideal for you, since there are many, such as the gastric sleeve and gastric bypasswhich we have already mentioned, and other more advanced ones, such as the SADI-S surgery.