What qualifies you for bariatric surgery?
Bariatric
surgery is a method of losing weight by surgical intervention. Bariatric
surgery makes changes in the person’s digestive system such as reducing the
size of stomach to enable the person to eat less food or carrying out changes
in the small intestine. There are many types of bariatric surgery such as
gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, gastric band and duodenal switch surgery.
A
person needs to fulfill the following conditions to be considered eligible for
bariatric surgery.
Body
Mass Index
Body
Mass Index is calculated by dividing the mass of the body in kilograms by
square of the height in metres. A person with BMI of 40 or more is eligible for
bariatric surgery provided other conditions are met. Person with BMI between 35
and 39 is also eligible for bariatric surgery provided he/she is suffering from
an obesity related pathological condition such as diabetes mellitus,
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea,
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.
Weight
People
who are 80-100 pounds heavier than the normal body weight are considered for
bariatric surgery. The maximum weight limit is 450 pounds because hospital
X-ray equipment cannot support more than 450 pounds. This is the reason why
people with weight over 450 pounds first need to reduce their weight before
going ahead with the procedure. Help from a nutritionist may be required to
lose weight.
Age
The
minimum age to be eligible for bariatric surgery is usually 18 years while the
maximum age limit is usually 65 years. For people aged less than 18 years or
more than 65 years, the chance of complications arising during the surgery is
high.
Medical
history
Medical
history is an important determinant in deciding the eligibility for bariatric
surgery. Pathological conditions such as diabetes and heart disease exacerbate
due to abnormally high body weight. Thus, people suffering from one more health
conditions which are difficult to treat due to their obesity are eligible for
bariatric surgery.
History
of weight loss efforts
If
the person has failed to achieve a normal body weight for a long period of time
despite even medically supervised diet and exercise plans and behavioural
changes, then the person is considered eligible for bariatric surgery.
Patient
evaluation
An
experienced bariatric surgeon such as Dr.
Sanjay Choudhary who is the Senior Surgical Gastroenterologist and
Bariatric Surgeon at Koda International Hospital Dubai, UAE will carry out a
thorough evaluation of the patient before deciding on the eligibility for
bariatric surgery.
The patient’s complete medical history and 3-5 years record
of weight and diet are evaluated. Some tests are also done and the results are
scrutinised. In case of contraindications and risks, the surgeon discusses them with
the patient before making a decision.
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