If after other conservative methods (diet, exercise, etc) you have not had the desired effect, you might want to decide to resort to surgery. In this situation, we advise you to consult a specialist program. Consult a surgeon experienced in bariatric surgery in the country or overseas. Not every surgeon is performing such operations. Once you have consulted them, the surgeon will determine if you qualify for bariatric surgery. In any case, the final decision will be made only after the laboratory complex investigations, but also after you have consulted other doctors from different specialties (endocrinologist, cardiologist, psychologist, nutritionist, etc. ) depending on the disease and some of your genetic factors.
You can choose to undergo surgery for losing weight, but it is advisable to follow medical advice from people with more experience than you (unless you perform bariatric surgery yourself). In any case, the surgeon will ask you to explain all the details you need and will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of the method. Before surgery is very useful to contact other patients who underwent it for some more useful information.
If you have serious diseases that can threat your life in extreme situations, then surgery would be contraindicated and is unlikely to solve or improve your medical condition. If you suffer from serious mental illness or chronic alcoholism, surgery is contraindicated as well. The same thing can be said if you have a BMI below 35 and there is no confounding. In all these situations you would better try conservative methods such as exercising and following a strict diet. During the operation you will be asleep and will not feel any pain. Surgery can take between 40 minutes and 3 hours depending on the degree of obesity, local anatomical conditions, as well as the experience of the surgeon.
Laparoscopic surgery is performed by introducing a camera into the abdomen with the use of certain thin instruments, all with a diameter between 0.5 and 2 cm. There will be a number of 5-6 small incisions in the skin located in the upper abdomen that will not leave scarring as in conventional operations and are subject to much less risk of complications.
After surgery you will be taken intensive care, where you will stay 24 hours for the doctors to monitor vital functions. You will have a nasal-gastric tube to be removed the next day. You can move upon awakening, early mobilization is encouraged. If vital signs are stable, the day after the stitches will be removed. From that day you will be allowed to swallow small amounts of liquid and you can make your first walk. Drains are usually removed the next day. The length of stay is usually 3-5 days after surgery, depending on the evolution and associated diseases.
The overall rate of postoperative complications is very low and mortality is near zero. General complications are related to worsening of disease associated, but precisely these reasons are well investigated patients preoperatively and take all preventive measures.