Are you also one of the many people who have tried numerous diets, actively exercise or even go on extreme diets or sports. Yet, you still are substantially overweight. Then it could be time to seriously think about gastric bypass surgery that limits your consumption of food . Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight loss surgery to treat people who are extremely obese, due to extreme gains of excess weight as fatty tissue, which can lead to more health problems in the future. The surgery involves sectioning off the stomache into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower remaining pouch. Moreover, the small intestines are also re-constructed to allow each pouch to remain linked to the intestines. By doing so, the food intake  is reduced and the quantity of food one can digest is also limited.

There are two types of gastric bypass surgeries. The first is known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass which is the most popular bypass procedure done. This method involves a small stomache pouch being created by stapling an area of the stomache together; restricting the amount of food one can eat. Following that, an area of the small intestine is joined to the pouch to permit the food to bypass into the duodenum. This causes decreased calorie and nutrient absorption.

The second type is known as Extensive Gastric Bypass, which is more complex, as the lower section of the stomach is taken out. The remaining small pouch is linked straight to the area of the small intestine. This procedure does have a high chance for lack of nutritients so it is less used but also is extremely effective in starting weight loss. It is not uncommon for persons who get gastric bypass procedures to lose approximately two thirds of their extra weight within twenty-four months. However,  several risks can occur like having the stomach increase in size as time goes by and then returning to its pre-surgery size. In some instancs, the staples which are used to tighten the stomach may break and return your stomach to its original state. Furthermore, there can also be a drainage of the stomach ingredients into the abdomen. This is unsafe due to the acid being able to eat away at other adjacent organs.

Deficiencies in nutrients can also make more health issues like osteoporosis, anemia and metabolic bone diseases; a result of restricted absorption of vitamin B12, calcium and iron, and people then must consume nutritional supplements to prevent these deficiencies. The risk of complications and nutritional deficiencies depends on how extensive the bypass operation is, and requires close monitoring and lifelong use of special foods and medications.In some cases, post-operative symptoms could include nausea, fainting, weakness, sweating and sometimes diarrhea.  Gallstones can also occur as a result of rapid weight loss, although they can be treated with medication.

While weight reduction surgery doesn’t guarantee that you will lose all your excess weight or keep it off long-term, a lot depends on your commitment to taking life long changes to your eating and exercise habits. However, your weight loss accomplishment and improved overall health are significant benefits, and will definitely be worth the effort.

If you’ve been thinking about lap band surgery or gastric banding or adjustable gastric banding then the following facts may help you decide whether or not it would be the best weight loss solution for you. Generally candidates for this surgery have failed on many diets and may or may not have significant co-morbidities and need to take a more drastic approach or risk serious health consequences or problems that would shorten their life.

The lap band system for weight loss surgery is much better known in parts of the world other than the United States. In the US, other types of weight loss surgeries have been performed more so than lap band surgery. There have been more than 220,000 lap band surgeries performed in all countries combined and it is rapidly becoming more popular in the United States.

The lap band surgery has numerous advantages over other weight loss or obesity surgeries. It’s the least invasive of the weight loss surgeries with no intestinal re-routing, thus very little trauma to obesity surgeries. Small and keyhole incisions are made so there is very little scarring. Because of these techniques there is a much reduced amount of pain for the patient and the hospital stay and recovery time are very much shortened.

There are much fewer risks, side effects and complications and a much lower mortality rate compared to other weight loss surgeries. With gastric bypass surgeries there is a bigger risk of having nutritional deficiencies and often vitamin b12 injections have to be given. Also with other obesity surgeries there are dietary intake restrictions that are related to the “dumping syndrome.”

Because the band is adjustable the surgeon can decide just how much to tighten it to help with the longer term weight loss rate for the patient. These adjustments are done without having to have any additional surgery. For pregnant patients the stomach outlet is opened wider for the ever increasing nutritional requirements.

The lap band is removable at any time that the patient wishes. The stomach and other parts of the body that are involved are usually restored to their original state and function.

Compared to gastric bypass surgery, recent studies have shown a significant improvement in diabetes and high blood pressure is usually reduced, helping return the patient to a better state of health.

The lap band system can be an effective long-term weight loss surgery for most obesity patients. It’s reported that more than 55% of the excess weight loss is maintained for five years at least after the surgery.

So if you’re considering lap band surgery, there is a criterion that must apply or qualify you for the surgery also. Make sure to see a bariatric surgeon to get an explanation of the procedure and be aware of all the risks and complications that you may encounter. Check to see if you health insurance plan covers it. Some people travel to other countries for the surgery because it’s not covered under their health insurance plans in the United States.

Today, one out of every five adult American men and one out of every four adult American women are obese. Most of them just need to improve diet and exercise. But about 170,000 per year are having gastric bypass surgery to lose weight.

The operation is not inexpensive. The average asking price is $38,700. While some consider the radical weight-loss surgery cosmetic, in reality it can be a crucial procedure for someone whose life is being put at risk from obesity.

Gastric bypass surgeries typically show up in the press when we hear about another celebrity who has had one. Of the stars that have had gastric bypass surgery, the most famous may be singer Carnie Wilson, who was 300 pounds before she had the operation in 1999. She later made an appearance in Playboy to show off her new slimmed-down body, before appearing on TV again in 2006 to discuss a small amount of the weight she managed to regain after having a child.

Lost in some of the celebrity press coverage are the life-or-death issues at stake when someone undergoes the procedure. A gastroenterologist generally recommends the surgery only if a patient suffers from morbid obesity. For someone who has become morbidly obese, it is too late for traditional weight loss techniques such as diet and exercise. Someone suffering from this extreme type of obesity has already developed co-morbidities, which may include sleep apnea (airway obstruction during sleep), hypertension, adult onset diabetes, and atherosclerosis.

At this stage, the only effective treatment for the condition is gastric bypass surgery. With an average asking price of $38,700, it’s a procedure that few people can afford without insurance. Unfortunately, many insurance companies won’t cover it, arguing it is an elective procedure.

But, for something supposedly cosmetic and elective, gastric bypass surgery is an extremely risky undertaking. According to a study by the University of Washington, 1 in 50 people die after undergoing the surgery. Men over the age of 65 were at the greatest risk following surgery.

As the demand for the surgery has expanded, so has litigation over the after-effects, with some attorneys charging that doctors have entered the lucrative gastric bypass surgery market too early. According to some reports, one cause of injuries is inexperienced doctors rushing into the lucrative field to perform the increasingly popular surgery, which typically costs between $25,000 and $30,000.

In addition, someone who has undertaken the operation can suffer from these side effects:

Nutritional deficiencies
Dumping syndrome, where stomach contents move too rapidly through the small intestine, causing nausea, diarrhea and other problems after eating
Gallstones
Pouch stretching, when the stomach essentially stretches back to its old size
Acidic contents of the stomach leaking into the abdomen.

In short, gastric bypass surgery is not a procedure that should be taken lightly, either by the patient or by his or her doctor. Before undergoing the procedure, it’s of course important to have insurance coverage that will take care of both the costs of the operation itself and the aftermath.

Although most patients achieve successful outcomes, a significant proportion may develop postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms. Whether these symptoms represent necessary evils (adverse events related to dietary indiscretion) or unnecessary evils (postoperative complications) is difficult to interpret clinically, and frequently will require gastroenterology consultation.

Despite the negative side effects, people who undergo gastric bypass surgery generally enjoy significant weight loss, losing 60-70 percent of their excess weight over two years and keeping off at least 50 percent of what they lost a decade after surgery.

Even with the risk of death, gastric bypass surgery can be necessary operation because obesity is often a death sentence. 300,000 Americans die every year from being overweight.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, (PCOS), is a metabolic disorder where undeveloped follicles collect on the ovaries causing a hormonal imbalance. This imbalance can affect fertility, increase body hair on some areas and thin hair in other regions. Sufferers have excessive fat around the midsection which they find difficult if not impossible to lose.

PCOS patients also tend to have insulin resistance or diabetes. Obesity is one of the listed causes of PCOS, but PCOS can also be the reason for the obesity. Gastric bypass offers an end to that catch 22.

Normally during a menstrual cycle, follicles grow within the ovaries and eggs develop within the follicles. The fastest egg to reach maturity will be released into the fallopian tube to await fertilization. The remaining follicles will degenerate.

If the egg isn’t fertilized, it happens again the next month. After a while the polycystic ovary will take on a grape-cluster appearance. The over abundance of follicles stimulate the hormones and create an imbalance inside the female body.

In PCOS, degeneration of the excess follicles doesn’t happen. When weight is lost, it is thought to somehow help degenerate the follicles instead of leaving them undeveloped. Gastric bypass surgery enables the PCOS sufferer to lose weight. Many times, when the excess weight is lost, the ovaries will return to normal and the symptoms of the syndrome will subside. Hormones will balance out and the woman can conceive.

Losing weight with gastric bypass surgery has also been linked to the spontaneous reduction of diabetic issues and pre-diabetes, also known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and diabetes happens when the body does not properly utilize insulin and too much sugar builds up. When the body is rid of extra weight, it can better manage it’s insulin.

Opponents of using gastric bypass with PCOS patients argue that it is not safe with women who want to have children. The gastric bypass diet is unable to provide enough nutrition to a pregnant woman’s body and fetus and could cause an unhealthy pregnancy.

Supporters state there is a higher risk of complications, such as gestational diabetes, which they say is more likely to harm the fetus in obese women than gastric bypass patients. Ultimately, this will have to be a personal decision. If you choose to have gastric bypass surgery, then you become pregnant, your diet should consist of many small meals of proteins, fruits, veggies, and calcium supplements. Your doctor should closely monitor your health, and you should carefully follow her dietary advice.

In conclusion, PCOS can sometimes be effectively managed with gastric bypass surgery, but it isn’t a “cure” for everyone. The surgery is major and life altering, and there are always risks.

Gastric bypass surgery should only be performed on individuals who have given an honest effort at dieting and exercise. Women who want children should carefully consider their options and the possible consequences of their chosen actions. If the benefits outweigh the risks, then gastric bypass may be the right choice.