Morbid Obesity

OBESITY

Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern.

Obesity raises a person’s risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, sleep apnea, heart disease, strokes, asthma, back pains, joint issues, certain types of cancer, depression, fertility and other problems. Many of these problems can cause death and a shorter life expectancy. Most of the treatment approaches for obesity include a low-calorie diet, medication, behavioral changes and physical exercise – sports. The single most effective approach has been a surgical procedure.

Patients suffering from obesity and meeting specific criteria, are candidates for surgery.

BMI – Body Mass Index

The BMI gives an indication of the dimensions of a person’s obesity and his chances of morbidity. Obesity is diagnosed when your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. To determine your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (kg/m²).The higher the BMI, the higher your chances of getting sick or developing one of the complications or diseases that often follow obesity.

Weight-loss surgery for obesity may be considered if you have tried other methods to lose weight that haven’t worked and:

• You have Morbid Obesity (BMI > 40)
• Your BMI is 35 to 39.9, and you also have a serious weight-related health problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
• You are committed to making the lifestyle changes that are necessary for surgery to work
• You arenot suffering from a metabolic or endocrine disorder which causes obesity and can be treated with medication

There are five types of laparoscopic surgical procedures for morbid obesity

1. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding
2. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
3. Laparoscopic Mini Gastric Bypass
4. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
5. Duodenal Switch

How to choose the right procedure

We believe that every patient should have a treatment plan specifically tailored for them. Deciding which operation is best is done together with the patient’s input and cooperation.

A number of tests are performed beforehand by Dr Papoulas and his team to determine what type is best for the patients including hormonal tests, ECG, Pulmonary function tests, Chest x-ray, Blood tests, Ultrasound liver, Psychiatric evaluation, Nutritional evaluation and eating habits.

Length of stay following a laparoscopic bariatric surgery is on average 2 to 3 days. You will be able to start drinking the day after the surgery. Regular activities can be usually resumed a week or two after the procedure. After being discharged from the hospital, you will be asked to come for regular follow-ups with the surgeon and the dietician. If everything is okay, check-ups are 7-10 days following surgery, a month later, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after surgery. After a year, check-ups are done once a year.

Long term effects of any gastric surgery are reliant on a patient making the necessary changes to lifestyle, particularly in relation to diet and exercise.