Obesity is a medical condition that has accumulated excess body fat to the degree that it can have a negative health effect.
Obesity is not only a social stigma but also the root cause of many ailments and health disorders.
The Internet is full of solutions from quick weight loss diet plans (like keto) to proven clinical weight loss treatments. But not all these options are suitable for everyone and they may not be healthy to try on your own. Eating healthy food and exercising is the right start. Although at times it may not give you desired results. Other non-surgical techniques for weight loss, although attractive are not always completely effective or permanent.
Most common ways to lose weight is dieting and exercising. But what should one do if that doesn’t work? Well, the answer is weight loss surgery. However, weight loss surgery isn’t an alternative to diet and exercise—it is an addition to diet and exercise. With advancements in the medical field, there is nothing to be scared of. Bariatric surgery and liposuction are the top two surgical options.
“What is the difference between bariatric surgery and liposuction” is one of the most commonly asked questions to a Bariatric Surgeon. Bariatric surgery and liposuction may seem similar, but they are actually very different. One of the most common misconceptions that people have is that bariatric surgery and liposuction are the same.
Here is a look at how bariatric surgery and liposuction compete.
Bariatric surgery or weight-loss surgery helps people lose weight and lowers risk of medical problems associated with obesity such as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure intended to shape and contour the human body by removing excess fat but does not address the issues causing the weight gain.
Bariatric surgery is intended to treat patients who suffer from obesity. Liposuction is more commonly recommended for individuals who are not struggling with obesity, but rather have areas of stubborn fat that just won’t melt away with diet and exercise.
While one may initially lose weight or inches with liposuction it is not a permanent weight loss solution. On the other hand, bariatric surgery helps obese patients achieve and maintain healthy weights by restricting food intake. Both are effective and safe surgeries if done for the right reason.
Bariatric surgery or weight-loss surgery helps people with BMI ≥ 32.5 in losing weight by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold, causing malabsorption of nutrients or by a combination of both gastric restriction and malabsorption. The two most common laparoscopic weight loss surgeries are Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Both can be performed by minimally invasive procedures.
Weight-loss surgery or bariatric surgery causes significant long-term loss of weight, recovery from diabetes and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors.
If you suffer from obesity and have been unsuccessful in losing weight through diet and exercise alone and are wondering if bariatric surgery is for you, contact Dr. Mir Asif Rehman (General & Laparoscopic surgeon).
