Which bariatric surgery is right for you

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That means living a healthier life. What Is Bariatric Surgery? How Does Bariatric Surgery Work? Gastric Bypass In this procedure, a smaller stomach is created by separating the top of the stomach from the rest of it.

Family Medicine Residency Program. Their results showed that morbidly obese patients over 65 have shorter hospital stays following bariatric surgery than younger patients.

However, a much larger aggregate study of over 25, patients showed that seniors experience less weight loss and more complications than younger patients and concluded that, "Limiting bariatric surgical procedures to those younger than 65 years is warranted because of the high morbidity and mortality associated with these operations in older patients. After the initial surgery, Lap Band and may require several doctor visits to "fine tune" the device to the point that it is just right for you.

The other procedures tend to require less long-term follow up doctor visits, including gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, gastric balloon, and duodenal switch.

You indicated that seeing your doctor regularly is not an issue for you, so this is just for your information. Since avoiding the doctor is important to you, you may want to stick with procedures that tend to require less frequent follow up, including gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, gastric balloon, or duodenal switch.

After the initial surgery, certain procedures like Lap Band may require several doctor visits to "fine tune" the device to the point that it is just right for you. There are several reasons people crave food, including food addiction, an overproduction of hunger-causing hormones, and hunger impulses sent from the stomach to the brain.

Since food cravings are a big issue for you now, they are likely to continue after surgery unless you choose a procedure that specifically addresses them. Gastric sleeve and duodenal switch have impressive weight loss and reduce food cravings by completely removing a large portion of your hormone-secreting stomach.

Since food cravings are an issue for you now, they are likely to continue after surgery unless you choose a procedure that specifically addresses them.

For some patients, eating eating foods high in fat, carbohydrates, or sugar, eating foods that are too hot or too cold, or drinking liquids during meals can result in dumping syndrome.

Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, rapid heart rate, sweating, and vomiting. While very uncomfortable if it happens, this can actually be a good thing as it provides a very strong deterrent against "cheating" on your new bariatric diet which can lead to better long-term weight loss. Dumping syndrome is experienced by about 4 out of every 5 gastric bypass patients. The other procedures are much less likely to cause this issue. Since you indicated that you're open to your body reacting negatively to the wrong diet choices, you may want to keep gastric bypass on your list of possible procedures.

Since you indicated that you don't want to worry about the symptoms associated with dumping syndrome, you may want to remove gastric bypass from your list of procedures to consider.

The fact that your insurance covers weight loss surgery is great news, although some individual procedures may not be covered. Even after a new procedure has been proven in the scientific community, it often takes years for insurance companies to add it to their list.

Your policy will probably cover gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, Lap Band, and duodenal switch since they have all been around for a long time. Gastric balloon and AspireAssist will probably not be covered directly, but your surgeon's office may be able to help you get some of the costs covered. However, these procedures may be covered on a case-by-case basis. Most top surgeons will help you figure out the cost side of things, including providing a free insurance check and helping you get financing for the part insurance does not cover.

You indicated that you're not sure whether your insurance covers weight loss surgery. If you find out that it's covered, note that some procedures may not be included in your policy. Even after a new procedure has been proven in the scientific community, it often takes years for insurance companies to add them to their list.

If your specific policy covers bariatric surgery, it will probably cover gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, Lap Band, and duodenal switch since those procedures have been around for a long time. Gastric balloon and AspireAssist will probably not be covered directly, but your surgeon's office may be able to help you get part of the procedure costs covered.

Since you are currently taking anticoagulation medication blood thinners , you will have a higher risk of marginal ulcers forming in the new stomach pouch created during a gastric bypass procedure.

As a result, if you are on the fence between gastric bypass and a different procedure, you may want to choose the other procedure. If you are currently taking anticoagulation medication blood thinners , you will have a higher risk of marginal ulcers forming in the new stomach pouch created during a gastric bypass procedure. Gastric balloon and Lap Band each include a different type of device that is left inside the body.

Gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch do not. Since you're open to that idea, we haven't given this any weight in our recommendation - we just wanted you to be aware. Since you are uncomfortable with the thought of a device being left inside your body, you may want to avoid gastric balloon and Lap Band. Generally speaking, the reversible procedures, including AspireAssist, gastric band, and gastric balloon, do not result in as much weight loss or as much health improvement as the "permanent" gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch procedures.

Since the ability to reverse your procedure is important to you, you should move gastric balloon, AspireAssist, and Lap-Band surgery higher up your list. Since the ability to reverse your procedure is not important to you, you may want to focus more on other procedure differences like potential weight loss, health improvement, and risks.

All weight loss procedures require some level of supplementation, although some are more serious with their requirements than others. The two malabsorptive procedures, gastric bypass and duodenal switch, alter the path of your digestion to prevent your body from absorbing as much food. While this tends to lead to greater weight loss, it also carries with it a higher risk of malnutrition. As a result, you will be on a more robust and stricter vitamin and supplement regimen than with the other procedures.

Since you indicated that you are not willing to be on a serious regimen of vitamins and supplements for the rest of your life, you should think hard about whether weight loss surgery is right for you. The only procedure that does not require permanent long-term supplementation is gastric balloon because the balloon is usually removed after 6 months. The "restrictive" procedures gastric sleeve and gastric band and aspiration procedure AspireAssist tend to lead to much lower instances of vitamin deficiency, but you still may need to be on a more moderate regimen of vitamins since your body will not be able to hold and therefore absorb nutrients from as much food.

The malabsorptive procedures duodenal switch and gastric bypass require strict, lifelong supplementation, so you should probably avoid those procedures. Any surgery carries risks, and weight loss surgery is no different.

The reversible procedures including gastric balloon, and Gastric Band may be less risky up front but either carry a higher risk of long-term complications or are too new to have definitive long-term risk data. The total cost of surgery varies widely, but what you really care about is your out of pocket costs when all is said and done.

Several factors weigh into this, including whether you have insurance and whether you obtain financing. Most top surgeons will help you figure out the cost side of things, including providing a free insurance check and helping you obtain financing. Alternatively, these pages will help you better understand the differences between popular procedures:.

Large Group Plans — Coverage depends on whether your employer has chosen to add it to your policy. If your policy covers it and you meet the qualification requirements, your plan will likely include 4 procedures:.

You will start losing weight fast after any bariatric surgery procedure, but the total amount lost varies based on:. Click here to learn more. The other types of bariatric surgery are less likely to be covered, although you may be able to get insurance to pay for some of the costs. See our Insurance Tool to find out if your plan covers it. NOTE: Some surgeons offer each procedure for as low as half of the national average. How competitive your surgeon and hospital fees are — there is often a substantial difference in costs between different doctors and hospitals, even within the same town.

Whether you qualify for tax write-offs — Bariatric surgery is tax deductible, which can have a big impact on the total cost of surgery. If you're considering weight-loss surgery, you'll meet with a health care team that may include the following:. Members of your team will explain what to expect before and after the procedure. They will evaluate whether you're ready for surgery and help you decide if it's an option for you.

They may identify concerns to address — medical, behavioral or psychological — before you're ready for surgery. You'll have a medical exam to diagnose any unknown obesity-related conditions. Your doctor also will test for problems that could make surgery more complicated. You may undergo tests for:. Weight loss after surgery depends on your ability to change behaviors in eating and exercise.

Also, being in good mental health is important for the demands of following your treatment plan. Your team's goals are to identify psychological or behavioral risk factors, address any problems, and decide whether you're ready for surgery. If your team members recommend bariatric surgery, they will work with you to develop a treatment plan. This may include:. These requirements are intended to help you achieve the best possible weight-loss outcomes after surgery.

Also, your ability to follow through on these plans will show your team how motivated you are to follow guidelines after surgery. Weight-loss surgery can be delayed or canceled if your health care team determines that:. Your insurance company may cover the costs of weight-loss surgery. Your team will need to show that the procedure is medically necessary.

Also, you may need to provide documented evidence that you weren't able to lose enough weight with a supervised program of diet and exercise. Medicare and some Medicaid programs may cover the costs.

It's important to research your insurance coverage and your expected out-of-pocket costs. Your hospital may have services to help you explore options for financing your surgery. A team of doctors, nurses and other specialists will help you determine whether this is an appropriate option for you. The process the team uses to determine if you're ready for weight-loss surgery is also there to help you make an informed decision.

You will need to consider the benefits and risks, follow through with pre-surgery and post-surgery plans, and make a lifelong commitment to a new nutrition and exercise program. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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