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Weight Loss Surgery
by Patrick Austin
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Weight loss surgery isn’t something to be taken lightly
(pardon the horrible pun). It should only be considered if you
are morbidly obese. To be considered morbidly obese, you need
to be at least one hundred pounds over weight. So if you have
fifteen pounds to lose, don’t consider weight loss surgery
an option.
There are a number of risks in relation to a weight loss surgery.
Here are just a few:
* Bleeding
* Complications due to anesthesia and medications
* Deep vein thrombosis
* Dehiscence
* Infections
* Leaks from staple line breakdown
* Marginal ulcers
* Pulmonary problems
* Spleen injury
* Stenosis
The most important step in weight loss surgery is getting all
of the information you need about the various surgical options.
Ultimately your surgeon and other physicians are your best resource
for information about the procedure they will recommend to you.
When you ask a question, make sure you understand the answer.
Don’t hesitate to ask for a clearer explanation given in
simpler language. The decision to have a weight loss surgical
procedure may take several visits to their offices and consultation
with more than one doctor. Ask your doctor for names of other
patients who have had similar weight loss surgeries and who are
willing to discuss their experiences, good and bad, with you.
You can also research weight loss surgery through your local
library and on the internet. As with any search for medical information,
be sure that your sources are responsible, recognized experts
in the field you are investigating. An excellent resource for
weight loss surgery is the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.
Although the results of weight loss surgery can be drastic, there
are potential risks and complications. Before making your decision,
you should be well informed. These steps are necessary if you
are to give what is called "informed consent" for the
surgical procedure.
Informed consent is a legal term meaning that a patient agrees
that they have received and understood enough information about
a procedure's benefits and risks to allow them to make a decision
that is right for them. Your surgeon will require you to sign
a consent form before performing a weight loss surgery. Before
you sign the consent form, you should have a good understanding
of what is about to take place. You should know what you would
need to do to live well after the operation. And you should be
aware of the signs of complications to look for which could potentially
occur after your weight loss surgery.
If you’d like to find out more information regarding weight
loss surgery, check out these sites:
Mr. Austin is a freelance writer who covers sports and health for a number of web sites including RealGM.com, Hoopsworld.com, and Fanstop.com. He currently also covers entertainment and sports for Vainquer magazine.
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