Fig. 1. The image is a computed tomography (CT) scan of a patient suffering from gastric obstruction due to bariatric surgery. (Iacobellis et al.).
Fig. 2. The image shows how bariatric surgery using the gastric band procedure changes how people digest food compared to normal digestion. (Healthdirect).
Fig. 1. The image is a computed tomography (CT) scan of a patient suffering from gastric obstruction due to bariatric surgery. (Iacobellis et al.).
THE CONSEQUENCES OF BARIATRIC SURGERY
Bariatric surgery or metabolic surgery is a medical procedure with the primary purpose of allowing patients suffering from severe obesity to lose weight. Furthermore, bariatric surgery also reduces the possibility that a patient develops a cardiovascular disease (CVD), and current evidence shows that bariatric surgery also helps patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and inflammation, among others.
Although bariatric surgery provides many benefits for patients suffering from severe obesity, many patients will consent to have the surgery without knowing the risks and side effects associated with the surgery. Several studies explain that after the surgery, most patients did not know about the possible complications that could occur. Furthermore, physicians utilize a procedure known as the Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB), consisting of placing a silicon band on the upper section of the stomach, creating a small pouch restricting the amount of food the patient can consume. However, patients have the possibility of suffering from band slippage, leading to complete stomach obstruction.
Furthermore, another common procedure physicians use for bariatric surgery is sleeve gastrectomy (SG), where physicians remove the stomach's curvature to reduce the capacity a patient can consume. Unfortunately, the SG procedure increases the patient's possibility of suffering nutrient deficiencies, causing the reduction uptake of micronutrients and vitamin B12.
Work Cited
Wolfe BM, Kvach E, Eckel RH. Treatment of Obesity: Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery. Circ Res. 2016 May 27;118(11):1844-55. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.307591. PMID: 27230645; PMCID: PMC4888907.
Puia A, Puia IC, Cristea PG. Ethical considerations in bariatric surgery in a developing country. Clujul Med. 2017;90(3):268-272. doi: 10.15386/cjmed-733. Epub 2017 Jul 15. PMID: 28781522; PMCID: PMC5536205.
Bariatric Surgery Complications: The Medical Practitioner's Essential Guide, edited by Robin P. Blackstone, Springer International Publishing AG, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://www.proquest.com/legacydocview/EBC/4745443?accountid=7122.
“Guide to Bariatric Surgery.” Healthdirect, www.healthdirect.gov.au/guide-to-bariatric-surgery. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
Iacobellis, Francesca, et al. “Common, Less Common, and Unexpected Complications after Bariatric Surgery: A Pictorial Essay.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 31 Oct. 2022, www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/12/11/2637.