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Resection of the stomach for weight loss

It has long been noticed that it is very difficult to find a suitable and effective diet, and the one that helped one patient is completely useless for another. In addition, there is a risk of relapse and weight gain. Given the stress and possible diseases acquired during the diet, this is not the best solution for people who are obese.

Surgical weight loss has long been practiced in the world. One of his methods is resection – removal of up to 75% of the stomach to reduce the amount of food taken. Such a drastic measure is usually used in complex and advanced cases – if the patient’s body mass index exceeds 35, and diets and other methods of losing weight did not bring any effect.

How is the operation going?

If the first intervention of this type, performed in the late 80s, was performed by an open method, then by 1999 surgeons had learned to perform the procedure without incisions, large abdominal operations. All manipulations are carried out through several punctures on the anterior abdominal wall. An important fact is that the patient’s abdomen will not be disfigured by a scar, the holes are sutured with a cosmetic suture and are almost invisible.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia for 1.5-2 hours. A gastric tube is inserted through the esophagus, from which a narrow “sleeve” is formed. Extra parts of the stomach are cut off with special tools, sutures are applied. As a result, the stomach becomes much narrower than before. Food cannot stay in it for a long time and continues to move through the digestive tract. The procedure is irreversible – it is impossible to return the previous dimensions of the organ.

Advantages and disadvantages of gastric resection

The undeniable advantages include:

  • No feeling of constant hunger;
  • The ability of the patient after surgery to get enough of small portions of food;
  • The invariability of the process of food movement throughout the system, therefore, the elimination of vitamin deficiency;
  • The level of glucose in the blood is normalized, which is important for patients with diabetes;
  • The absence of foreign bodies in the body – such as a bandage or a balloon inside the stomach;
  • According to modern data, the intervention can be carried out on persons under 18 and after 55 years of age (previously it was considered impossible).

The procedure also has disadvantages:

  • The likelihood of divergence of seams;
  • Bleeding that is difficult to detect in the fat mass;
  • The ability to stretch the stomach again when overeating;
  • Return to normal nutrition is possible only after 2-3 months;
  • Rapid weight loss occurs only at first, and then slows down;
  • The presence of contraindications to surgical intervention – acute gastritis and ulcers; heart, kidney, liver failure; acute infections; pregnancy and breastfeeding; alcoholism; addiction.

The effectiveness of the procedure is very high – 98% of patients do not return to their original volume and body weight and lead a full life. For a person who really suffers from excess weight, and does not dream of losing weight for the sake of fashion, gastric resection is a reasonable and optimal solution. Of course, the intervention must be approached thoughtfully and before the operation it is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons.

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