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Surgery is not always the recommended course of action. Many reasons are involved, including your overall health and weight, along with the other risk factors in your life. In addition, it’s important to evaluate whether surgery can have long-term, lasting effects or would only be a temporary solution to a bigger problem. If you suffer from obesity, then please consult with Dr. Salimath regarding the options that would make the most sense for you and your lifestyle, contributing to your long-term quality of life. After considering your complete history, Dr. Salimath will be better able to address your weight loss concerns.
Non-Surgical Weight Loss Programs
There are many options for losing weight that do not involve surgery. Whether it’s a dietary plan and tools for effective behavior modification or recommendations for a specific weight loss program, Dr. Salimath is available for consultation. He is also open to providing medical clearance for appropriate weight loss programs, along with observation as you participate. In many cases, the insurance will cover the cost of a clearance visit.
Obesity-Related Health Conditions
There are many conditions related to obesity, including a connection with cancers and diabetes. Following are some of the health conditions that can significantly reduce your life expectancy. Of course, the more health conditions you have, the greater your risk of premature death. If you are obese and have any of the following conditions, please consult with Dr. Salimath before embarking on any new course of action or therapy:
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure (hypertension)/heart disease
- Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints
- Sleep apnea/respiratory problems
- Gastroesophageal reflux/heartburn
- Depression
- Infertility
- Urinary stress incontinence
- Menstrual irregularities
Surgical Weight Loss Options
There are several types of operations that may be considered to remove excessive weight and reduce your health risks. For the seriously overweight, weight loss surgery should be considered when other therapies have failed as a way to lose weight, improve health and increase quality of life.
- Purely restrictive operations limit food intake and do not interfere with the normal digestive process. To perform this surgery, a small pouch is placed at the top of the stomach where food enters the esophagus. In the beginning the pouch can hold only an ounce of food, but can stretch to 2-3 ounces. The pouch delays the emptying of food to the stomach and causes a feeling of fullness. Patients who undergo restrictive procedures are unable to eat as much as those with combined operations. Restrictive surgeries include adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG).
- Malabsorptive operations shorten the digestive tract to limit the number of calories and nutrients that can be absorbed.
- Combined operations are the most common bariatric procedures. These surgeries restrict both food intake and the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs.
If you have any questions or concerns related to the above conditions or treatments, please contact Dr. Salimath or call 672-5975 for a professional consultation.
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