All You Need to Know About Bariatric Surgery

Are you planning to go for bariatric surgery? 

Then you would want to learn more about bariatric surgery, its procedure, etc., isn’t it? 

After all, awareness is the first step of any treatment journey! 

Awareness and knowledge are like roadmaps that guide you and help you have a smooth journey, and make you reach your desired destination without any difficulty!

No awareness and knowledge are like walking on an unknown and dark road without a roadmap! In turn, this leads to anxiety, increases your chances of getting lost, and prevents you from reaching your desired destination! Thus, it is essential to have proper awareness and knowledge about the treatment to have a beautiful and smooth treatment journey and reach your desired destination easily!

So, in this article, Dr. Harsh Sheth, an experienced bariatric and laparoscopic surgeon in Mumbai, creates awareness about bariatric surgery, thus helping you take the first step of the bariatric journey! With the lamp of awareness,he guides you and prevents you from walking on the wrong path! With the light of awareness, he vanishes the darkness and anxiety in the journey and helps you easily find and reach the destination of “healthy weight” by showing you the right path and not making you get lost in the journey!

Dr. Harsh Sheth is a leading bariatric surgeon in Mumbai and has been in this profession for a decade! He is known to perform advanced GI surgeries and other surgeries in a minimally invasive way. He follows the principle of ‘primum non nocere,’ which means, do no harm, thus ensuring utmost patient comfort and safety. Dr. Harsh Sheth specializes in performing bariatric and advanced gastro-intestinal surgeries at a reasonable cost. He is known to treat patients with the best possible evidence-based protocols at affordable rates!

Dr. Harsh Sheth strongly believes that “Awareness is the first step in the bariatric journey and in reaching your weight loss goal!”

Thus, through this article, he helps one take the first step by explaining bariatric surgery in detail and replacing the darkness of ignorance with the light of awareness!

So, let’s take the first step and begin the bariatric surgery journey by understanding bariatric surgery- the path to weight loss!

So, what exactly is bariatric surgery?

In simple terms, bariatric surgery is a surgery that helps one lose weight by making changes to one’s digestive system. Dr. Harsh Sheth recommends bariatric surgery only when you haven’t got positive results from exercise and diet or suffer from severe health issues due to excess weight! So, yes, bariatric surgery should be the final step in your weight loss journey! It is the last step to your goal of “weight loss”!

What is the importance of the surgery?

Obesity is a major health issue, but Dr. Harsh Sheth feels it is not a major health issue but the cause of major health issues! Yes, obesity can cause various health problems like hypertension, stroke and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. So, to avoid these health problems, it is essential first to treat the cause of these major health issues, i.e., obesity! And when talking about the solution for obesity, the first treatment that comes to mind is bariatric surgery! Bariatric surgery is very beneficial in treating obesity, thus helping reduce the chances of severe health problems like heart disease, etc. Bariatric surgery is an ideal option when other options of losing weight like diet and exercise haven’t proven beneficial!

Who are eligible for bariatric surgery?

The following are eligible for bariatric surgery-

• Those whose BMI is 40 or greater than that.
• Those whose BMI is between 35- 39.9 and suffer from severe weight-related health issues such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or severe sleep apnea.

Do you fall in the above category of people?

Then visit Dr. Harsh Sheth right now!

Dr. Harsh Sheth may perform specific tests and screening to confirm whether you are eligible for bariatric surgery or not. Also, to qualify for bariatric surgery, you should be ready to make specific healthy lifestyle changes and changes in your diet not only before but even after the bariatric surgery.

What are the different types of bariatric surgery?

The different type of bariatric surgery is given below-

• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: This procedure is the most common method of gastric bypass. It helps reduce the quantity of food that one can have in one sitting and decreases the absorption of nutrients. 
• Sleeve gastrectomy: In this procedure, nearly eighty percent of your stomach is taken out. Thus, you are left with a small belly that isn’t capable of holding that much food. The procedure also helps produce less hormone called ghrelin, thus reducing your urge to eat. The recovery is faster in sleeve gastrectomy compared to other methods.
• Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch: This surgery helps in reducing the amount of food you can eat and decreases the absorption of nutrients. However, the surgery can lead to deficiency in essential vitamins and malnutrition.

It is essential to discuss the pros and cons of each surgery with your doctor before deciding which surgery to go for. Dr. Harsh Sheth helps you choose the most effective surgery for you by considering various factors like your BMI, health problems, the risks associated with each surgery, etc.

Now, let’s discuss,

How is bariatric surgery done?

People who have bariatric surgery are put to sleep with general anesthesia.

Some weight-loss surgeries are done with large or open incisions in your abdomen.

But most of the time, it’s done “laparoscopically.” A laparoscope is a tube-shaped, small tool with a camera attached. The laparoscope is put in through small holes in the abdomen. The small camera on the end of the laparoscope lets Dr. Harsh Sheth look and operate inside your stomach without having to make a big cut. Laparoscopic surgery ensures faster recovery and shorter hospital stays.

Post-surgery, you wake up in a recovery room where the medical experts check for any problems that might happen. Based on the surgery procedure, you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Wait! The bariatric journey is not yet over!

The final step is remaining!

To give a beautiful ending to the bariatric journey and reach a beautiful destination and goal of “healthy weight,” it is essential to take the final step! Taking the last step is necessary to make the bariatric journey a successful journey to your weight loss destination!

Are you thinking about what the final step of the bariatric journey is?

The final step is to follow the post-operative guidelines given by Dr. Harsh Sheth. It may include specific restrictions on your eating and drinking. Dr. Harsh Sheth advises his patients to not eat anything for 1-2 days after surgery to allow their digestive system and stomach to heal. After that, he may advise you to start with a complete liquid diet, then gradually begin consuming soft foods, and later begin having regular foods. He may advise you to make particular healthy lifestyle and dietary changes for better, faster, and long-lasting results from the surgery. Regular health check-ups will also be scheduled with the doctor.

No journey is entirely smooth! There are risks and obstacles faced in every journey!

So, what are the risks encountered in the bariatric journey?

Some of the risks associated with bariatric surgery include the following-

• Infection
• Severe Bleeding
• Blood clotting
• Breathing and lung problems etc.

But don’t worry! You can reduce the obstacles in the bariatric journey and have a smooth treatment journey by doing the surgery from a renowned and proficient bariatric surgeon like Dr. Harsh Sheth. Dr. Harsh Sheth guides you and holds your hands throughout the treatment journey, thus making your journey a smooth one and helping you reach your weight loss destination easily!

So, what are you waiting for?

Now, as you have taken the first step, called awareness, it is time to take the final step in your weight loss journey and reach a beautiful end of “healthy weight” and “confidence” by undergoing bariatric surgery from a proficient doctor; such as Dr. Harsh Sheth!

Now is the time to feel not only proud of your “appearance” but also proud of “yourself”!

Now is the time to walk on the path to self-esteem and confidence by doing bariatric surgery!