What is weight loss surgery?
Weight loss surgery is a drastic tool for losing weight, which is only effective with acommitment to a life-long nutrition plan and physical activity routine. Surgery is anption for people who are severely obese and cannot lose weight by traditional means or who suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. The operation promotes weight loss by restricting food intake and, in some operations, interrupting the digestive process.
Surgery is for people with severe obesity—a chronic condition determined by abody mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. Your Kaiser Permanente provider can help you calculate your BMI, which is based on your height and weight. You can find a BMI calculator on kp.org/healthyliving.
Keep in mind that surgery alone will not result in sustained weight loss. Successful and long-term weight loss is possible only when combined with healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
How much weight can I expect to lose with surgery?
Right after surgery, most patients lose weight quickly and continue to lose for 18 to 24 months. Most patients lose about two-thirds of their excess body weight although some of this weight may be regained later. As with other treatments for obesity, long-term weight loss success depends on your ability to adopt lifestyle
changes like regular exercise and healthy eating habits.
What are the benefits of weight loss surgery?
Health issues associated with excess weight (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol) often improve with significant weight loss. The extent of improvement depends on the severity of the medical condition prior to surgery. Unfortunately, some of these health conditions may reappear five or more years after surgery, even when you maintain the weight loss. More research is needed to better understand why this may be the case for some surgery patients.
What are the potential side effects or risks of the surgery?
As with any surgery, you may be at risk for bleeding, infection, or heart and lung trouble. Sometimes the spleen can be injured during the surgery and must be removed. Very rarely, in less then one percent of all surgery cases, death may occur. Below is a list of potential surgical complications.
• leakage at the site where tissues from the stomach and intestines are sewn or stapled together
• infections of surgical wound or incision
• infection of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis)
• change in the ability to digest a sugar in milk products called lactose
• nausea, bloating, diarrhea (also known as “dumping syndrome”)
• excessive loss of water from the body (dehydration)
• blood clots in legs or lungs
• changes in taste and smell
• gallstones (tiny stones that form in the gallbladder)
• painful build-up of uric acid in the big toe, ankle, knee, wrist, or elbow (gout)
• abdominal adhesions
• nutritional deficiencias (calcium, iron, vitamin B12)
• hair thinning
If you lose a lot of weight rapidly, your skin often becomes very saggy or you may develop large skin folds in the abdomen or other areas of your body. You may choose to have plastic surgery to remove the skin folds. You can consult plastic surgeons in Kaiser Permanente or your community about this elective procedure.
This is not a Kaiser Permanente covered benefit.
Weight loss surgery is a drastic tool for losing weight, which is only effective with acommitment to a life-long nutrition plan and physical activity routine. Surgery is anption for people who are severely obese and cannot lose weight by traditional means or who suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. The operation promotes weight loss by restricting food intake and, in some operations, interrupting the digestive process.
Surgery is for people with severe obesity—a chronic condition determined by abody mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. Your Kaiser Permanente provider can help you calculate your BMI, which is based on your height and weight. You can find a BMI calculator on kp.org/healthyliving.
Keep in mind that surgery alone will not result in sustained weight loss. Successful and long-term weight loss is possible only when combined with healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
How much weight can I expect to lose with surgery?
Right after surgery, most patients lose weight quickly and continue to lose for 18 to 24 months. Most patients lose about two-thirds of their excess body weight although some of this weight may be regained later. As with other treatments for obesity, long-term weight loss success depends on your ability to adopt lifestyle
changes like regular exercise and healthy eating habits.
What are the benefits of weight loss surgery?
Health issues associated with excess weight (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol) often improve with significant weight loss. The extent of improvement depends on the severity of the medical condition prior to surgery. Unfortunately, some of these health conditions may reappear five or more years after surgery, even when you maintain the weight loss. More research is needed to better understand why this may be the case for some surgery patients.
What are the potential side effects or risks of the surgery?
As with any surgery, you may be at risk for bleeding, infection, or heart and lung trouble. Sometimes the spleen can be injured during the surgery and must be removed. Very rarely, in less then one percent of all surgery cases, death may occur. Below is a list of potential surgical complications.
• leakage at the site where tissues from the stomach and intestines are sewn or stapled together
• infections of surgical wound or incision
• infection of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis)
• change in the ability to digest a sugar in milk products called lactose
• nausea, bloating, diarrhea (also known as “dumping syndrome”)
• excessive loss of water from the body (dehydration)
• blood clots in legs or lungs
• changes in taste and smell
• gallstones (tiny stones that form in the gallbladder)
• painful build-up of uric acid in the big toe, ankle, knee, wrist, or elbow (gout)
• abdominal adhesions
• nutritional deficiencias (calcium, iron, vitamin B12)
• hair thinning
If you lose a lot of weight rapidly, your skin often becomes very saggy or you may develop large skin folds in the abdomen or other areas of your body. You may choose to have plastic surgery to remove the skin folds. You can consult plastic surgeons in Kaiser Permanente or your community about this elective procedure.
This is not a Kaiser Permanente covered benefit.
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