Gastric Bypass Surgery the Pros and Cons

The unhealthy eating habits of people today have driven them into seeking alternatives to exercising and eating healthy. One of those alternatives is gastric bypass surgery which has been a rising trend in the United States in the past few years. When gastric bypass is performed the stomach is divided into a smaller upper portion of the stomach and a larger lower portion of the stomach. Those two portions are connected to bypass the larger piece of stomach in between which absorbs most of the foods caloric value.

There are many pros related to this surgery, the most obvious of course is the weight loss. Most people will lose ten pounds a month and will reach their ideal weight in a year in a half to two years. A lot of the weight that comes of is right after the surgery is done because the patient is still on the liquid diet that usually lasts several weeks. In addition to losing weight gastric bypass surgery may improve some other ailments that people might have such as high blood pressure, gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Addition to the improvement of your health in various ways the surgery also improves your overall mobility and your life.

As with any surgery there are several risk factors involved and of them all highest on the list is death, but the risks vary depending on age, general health and other medical conditions. During the surgery bacteria is released from the bowel and there is a risk of an infection on the incision from the inside of the abdomen. The most common complication from the gastric bypass surgery is called dumping syndrome. This happens because food passes through the small intestine too fast which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and dizziness.

What some people need to realize is that gastric bypass surgery isn’t a solution in itself. The surgery along with healthy eating in smaller portions and exercising with following up with your doctor and a nutritionist will keep you on track to your happy and new you.