What is Obesity Surgery?
Obesity surgery or bariatric surgery is the general name given to the medical operations that can be performed on individuals who cannot lose weight by diet and sports or who cannot lose weight without surgical intervention due to health problems. Among these methods, sleeve gastreoctomy, gastric bypass, gastric balloon and stomach injection are the most commonly used methods.
According to the criteria determined by the World Health Organization, individuals with a body mass index above 29.9 are in the “obese” category. Obesity brings with it many diseases that will lead to a decrease in the quality of life. Therefore, bariatric surgery operations are comprehensive procedures performed to solve health problems rather than aesthetic purposes. After these procedures, if the recommended lifestyle changes are fulfilled, obesity completely disappears from the lives of individuals.
What Are The Common Types of Bariatric Surgery?
Sleeve Gastrectomy
It is a restrictive surgery method in which a large part of the stomach curvature is removed and the stomach takes the shape of a tube and is reduced to approximately 80-100 cc volume. Today , it is one of the most commonly preferred methods in Turkiye and in the world.
Gastric ByPass
A small stomach volume is created by leaving a pouch of approximately 30 ml in the stomach. This small stomach is then a new connection to the small intestine, which is a method that allows food to pass into the small intestine without touching the large stomach.
Gastric Balloon
It is placed into the stomach by endoscopic method or by swallowing the patient himself. There are different models of 6 months, 12 months, which are inflated with liquid or air. Provides satiety and reduction in food intake. It is removed by endoscopic methods after 6 or 12 months, depending on the model, or it dissolves in the stomach and is expelled from the intestines.
Gastric Injection
It is an endoscopic procedure with sedation. By applying injection into the stomach, gastric emptying can be delayed and the patient’s fullness period is extended.
Other Diseases You Can Overcome With Bariatric Surgery
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Insulin resistance – Hyperinsulinemia
- Hypertension
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- (Especially in men) Esophagus, colon, thyroid, kidney
- Cancers of breast, endometrium, bile, esophagus and kidney in women
- Degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, low back pain
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Cholelithiasis, (gallstone)
- Fatty liver, dyslipidemia
- Asthma
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Cardiovascular diseases, right-sided heart failure,
- Migraine, headaches
- Pseudotumor cerebri
- Venous stasis ulcers, deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Fungus, skin rashes
- Skin abscesses
- Urogenital problems, stress, urinary incontinence
- Sexual problems, infertility, dysmenorrhea
- Depression
- Large abdominal wall hernias
Why Lokman Hekim Health Group?
Obesity is seen with different diseases that are not only related to the stomach and concern the whole body. Therefore, the bariatric surgery process should be carried out in a fully equipped hospital with doctors from different departments. Lokman Hekim Health Group, which has 25 years of medical experience, provides bariatric surgery services to its patients in İstanbul, Ankara and Van Hospitals.
As Lokman Hekim Health Group, one of the leading healthcare service brands in Turkiye, we are with you at every point you need, in every step you need to take advantage of our service, in order to provide first-class quality healthcare to our international patients and to maximize patient satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Obestiy Surgery
- People with BMI (body mass index) 40 or higher (morbid obesity patients)
- People with BMI between 35 and 40 who also suffer from diseases that affect the quality of life and life expectancy due to excessive weight, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, abnormal cholesterol, etc.
- In some cases, people with a BMI between 30 and 34 with severe weight-related health problems
Surgery can be suggested to obese patients who cannot lose weight with conventional methods, such as exercise and diet, including medically supervised dieting. At Lokman Hekim, each patient undergoes detailed clinical evaluation before bariatric surgery and all treatment options are discussed in detail.
Many factors are considered when deciding on the most suitable weight loss surgery for you. Your age, mass body index, diseases you have etc. All these factors will be taken into consideration by Lokman Hekim doctors and the most appropriate surgical method will be determined for your health.
There is no universal answer. The effectiveness of weight loss surgery depends on the type of procedure and, most of all, on your motivation to adopt a healthy diet and exercise regularly. On average, you can expect to lose 40% of your excess weight within 6 months and 75 to 90% of it within 2 years.
Obesity surgery provides a long-lasting change, but its success is directly proportional to the radical changes you will make in your lifestyle. It should be kept in mind that bariatric surgery is not only done to change the appearance. You can maintain the effect of this surgery, which is basically done to improve your health, only by healthy living habits.
In bariatric surgery, there are risks related to both surgery and being overweight.
General low-probability risks that may occur in surgery include:
- Leakage from the cut stomach part.
- Bleeding from the cut stomach part.
- Inflammation.
- Lung and heart problems
- Coagulation in the blood vessel.
For this reason, it is important to choose the hospital and doctor where the bariatric surgery will be performed, taking these risks into account. With hospitals and doctors experienced in bariatric surgery, the risks of complications listed above will be minimized.
Some long-term nutritional problems may also be seen after the surgery. However, when compared to the disadvantages of living with obesity, the risks seem reasonable and are easier challenges than obesity.
Since each patient's problems and operation will be unique, this period varies according to the patient's condition. In general, the patient is discharged on the 3rd or 4th day of obesity surgery. After discharge, the patient can see his own personal affairs. However, in order to return to work, the patient should not have any complaints about surgical wounds and his eating habits should be regulated. It will take 10-15 days for the surgical wounds to fully heal and the eating habits to be fully regulated. Apart from these, lifting weights and movements that may affect the abdominal region should be avoided until your doctor allows it.
Again, considering that the answer to this question will vary from patient to patient, it is not medically necessary to wait for a while to get pregnant after bariatric surgery. However, depending on their preferences, patients can wait for their diet to be fully regulated and to lose some more weight.
Obesity is seen with different diseases that are not only related to the stomach and concern the whole body. Therefore, the bariatric surgery process should be carried out in a fully equipped hospital with doctors from different departments. In addition, the experience of the surgeon and the hospital will ensure that possible complications that may occur during the operation are minimized. Lokman Hekim Health Group, which has 25 years of medical experience, provides bariatric surgery services to its patients in İstanbul, Ankara and Van Hospitals.
Why Türkiye?
Turkiye is in the top 5 among the most popular destinations in the field of medical tourism due to its hospitals with advanced medical technology and well-trained and qualified medical staff. It has become a more preferred location compared to other health tourism locations, especially because Turkiye offers high-quality health services at an affordable price.
You can easily travel to Turkiye, which geographically combines Europe and Asia, no matter which continent you come from. In addition, according to your health status, you can organize touristic trips before or after your treatment or take advantage of shopping opportunities in Turkiye.