Gastric Bypass Surgery Pros and Cons – Is It Good for You?

One of the most popular weight loss procedures today is gastric bypass surgery. It is claimed as a safe and effective way to lose extra fats quickly. But, is the procedure the rightest option for you? Well, knowing the gastric bypass surgery pros and cons as listed below before choosing this procedure will be very helpful.

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Overview

For short, gastric bypass surgery is a procedure conducted by bypassing part of your digestive system. In this way, your stomach can be reduced to shave extra fats from your body. Gastric bypass surgery is conducted as a laparoscopic surgery procedure. During the process, the patient will be under general anesthetic.

Gastric bypass surgery usually needs one to three hours to complete. After the procedure, patients are expected to lose their excess fats up to 60% – 70%. Compared to sleeve or band gastrectomy, the bodyweight reduced by this surgery is bigger.

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Pros

Gastric bypass surgery becomes a popular weight loss procedure because of some good reasons. Here are some of the gastric bypass surgery advantages you should know.

1. Effective for Fast Weight Loss

Gastric bypass surgery is considered effective especially for those who have a larger BMI. This is because the procedure comes with more predictable outcomes of weight loss. In this way, doctors will know better how much the stomach should be reduced to allow you to get a more ideal weight.

2. Immediate Reduction

Reports reveal that most patients of gastric bypass surgery enjoy an almost immediate reduction regarding their needs to consume diabetic medication. Some patients are even reported to stop the diabetic medication after the surgery. This is possible to happen since the procedure leads to hormonal changes in the patients.

3. Strongest Effect

One of the gastric bypass surgery pros is that the procedure comes with the strongest effect on people with various health issues. These include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other health problems often linked to obesity.

4. It Doesn’t Require Ongoing Adjustments

Unlike weight loss surgeries, gastric bypass surgery doesn’t need any ongoing adjustments. However, there is a regular follow-up that patients need to complete.

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Cons

Just like two sides of a coin, there are also some disadvantages associated with gastric bypass

Here are some gastric bypass surgery cons you should know.

1. Reversal Is Rare

Technically, it is possible to reverse this gastric bypass procedure. However, the reversal of this operation is taken in very rare situations. This is because, unlike, just say, gastric band, there are more things involved in the gastric bypass operation.

2. Potential Complications

Complications caused by gastric bypass surgery are not common. However, it doesn’t mean that there is no case before. Although it is very rare, the complications can be more complex than other weight loss procedures.

3. Higher Risks of Nutrition Deficiency

One of the gastric bypass surgery pros and cons that you need to know is that the procedure can lead to nutritional deficiency. It is because the surgery will lower the absorption of nutrients and vitamins.