The Pros and Cons of Weight Loss Procedures in Turkey

Weight loss surgery pros and cons 

In order for a patient to qualify for bariatric surgery, they must fulfill certain criteria and conditions, including:

• A body mass index of more than 40 kg/m2, whether there are complications of obesity or not.
• The surgical treatment must be used as the last solution and the person must have tried and failed other methods of treatment, such as a diet and exercise.
• The patient should undergo a comprehensive evaluation by a dietitian and a psychologist, in addition to the full assessment of the cardiovascular system and the lungs, to make sure the patient is a good candidate for the procedure.

What is the best surgery for obesity?

The desired effect of this procedure is to suppress the feeling of hunger after the ingestion of the first couple bites of a meal, and therefore the reduction of total calories intake leading to weight loss.

In the last couple years, new modifications have been added to the original gastric sleeve technique, and these modifications involve adding a circular band to control the passage of food out of the stomach, and this ring is usually connected to a subcutaneous reservoir which makes it "adjustable" making the physician able to control how tight it is by injecting physiological saline into the reservoir, and this technique is called the “Banded gastric sleeve” technique.

Other methods combine both reducing gastric capacity and inducing malabsorption. For example, in gastric bypass procedure, part of the stomach as well as the duodenum are taken out, and because most of the nutrients are absorbed to the duodenum a good part of the calories ingested are not absorbed, which facilitates weight loss.

Average monthly weight loss after obesity surgery

Only 30% of people with a BMI above 50 were able to lose half of their excess weight.

As for the gastric bypass procedure, data suggests that it can lead to a loss of 70% of excess body weight within 2 years, with a good success rate in most of patients with morbid obesity.

Weight loss surgery risks and benefits

Usually weight loss procedures in Turkey are performed by laparoscopy (small incisions are made in the abdomen in order to pass a camera and operating equipment), this technıque reduces surgical trauma to the tissues.

The placement of the stomach ring may rarely lead to perforation in the stomach (very rare complication)

Eating after weight loss surgery

So the patient have to learn to eat slowly and chew their food well, and avoid swallowing big chunks of food.

Foods high in sugar, alcoholic drinks, or ice creams are not recommended, because they do not have the satiating effect of solid foods and this may prevent weight loss.

What are the long term effects of weight loss surgery