6 Things To Know Before Getting Weight Loss Surgery

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Weight loss surgery can seem like a drastic measure to lose weight, and even scary for some.

It can also seem like a game changer or lifesaver for others.

From time to time I’ll get asked by my patients about whether they should get weight loss surgery.

So I’ve compiled what I think are the 6 most common things that my patients who have done weight loss surgery, wished they knew beforehand.

Things to know

It won’t control your mind

Weight loss surgeries like the gastric band, sleeve and bypass primarily control your appetite and how much you can eat, but it won’t be able to create good eating habits or lifestyle habits for you.

They can control your stomach, but it can’t control what you decide to do. That change still needs to come from you.

A lot of patients will end up telling me the same general message, that while they lost some weight right after the surgery, it wasn’t really until they decided themselves to take their diet and lifestyle more seriously that more significant amounts of weight came off.

So gastric surgery is often just a starting point, and while it can be very effective at giving you the confidence and kickstart to begin losing weight, you’ll still need to be the one in control of your weight loss journey.

It won’t stop stress eating

If you’re an emotional or stress eater, or have used food as a way to cope with stress, the surgery won’t stop cravings, or prevent you from stress eating.

You might not be able to eat as much, or it might end up making you vomit, however it’s still very easy to stress eat enough, to regain weight after your surgery.

Some patients tell me that letting go of these emotional foods, or foods that used to give them comfort in times of stress, was a very emotionally difficult and depressing time. And learning to manage and deal with their stress in healthier ways, was the key to avoiding emotional eating and these cravings for stress foods.

So if you’re an emotional eater, and have a lot of stress in your life, you’ll still need to learn how to properly manage those stressors.

Whether you decide to start managing them before or after your surgery is up to you, just know that gastric surgery is not enough to help you deal with them in the long run.

Changes are permanent

Weight loss surgery is permanent, and even though some surgeries like the gastric band is technically reversible, it may still leave lasting damage and scar tissue on your stomach when removed.

The changes to your stomach may leave side effects that can remain with you for the rest of your life.

You may have to more vigilantly watch for nutritional deficiencies like low iron.

You might not be able to tolerate certain foods anymore, like popcorn or soda.

Heartburn could become a lifelong issue.

Some of these changes will be permanent, and you’ll need to learn to manage or deal with them as you continue your weight loss journey.

There are patients that tell me their enjoyment for some aspects of their life, like eating or having normal bowel movements, changed after their surgery, and although most will accept these changes, it can be hard on others.

That being said, there are also positive changes, mostly related to patients being able to lose significant amounts of weight.

Things like no longer needing medications for diabetes or high blood pressure, relief from joint pain, and even improved fertility.

Of course these benefits come with the large amounts of weight being lost, rather than the surgery itself.

Excess skin is common 

If you are able to fully benefit from your weight loss surgery, depending on how much you lost, you may have to deal with a lot of excess skin.

Skin is normally elastic, and will retighten over time to some degree, however individuals who lose large amounts of weight, and are older, will find a lot of loose skin around their abdomen, arms, thighs, and groin that they need to deal with.

The chafing can be uncomfortable, and you’ll have to learn how to keep those areas clean.

It can cause some individuals to become self-conscious about their loose skin.

Some patients simply tuck the extra skin away, but for others who want it definitively removed, the plastic surgery to remove excess skin is not cheap, costing several thousand dollars per location.

So if you’re removing skin from a few different areas, you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars, and it’s not as often covered by insurance as the gastric surgery.

Try other things first

In most cases, the surgery should be a last-line of treatment. Ideally, you would be able to control your weight without having to resort to such drastic and expensive measures.

Less permanent weight loss tools, such as medication, or even a gastric balloon may be enough to get you started on your weight loss journey. Talk to your doctor about what other options for weight loss are available.

You’ll still need to meet certain requirements before the surgery is even available to you.

Most guidelines require you to have at least a BMI of over 40, or a BMI of over 35 with other obesity related issues like diabetes. So your doctor will need to decide if you are a candidate for weight loss surgery.

Also, if you’re looking for insurance coverage, many insurance companies want to know what other interventions you’ve tried for weight loss already, and how long you’ve tried them, to determine whether coverage is necessary.

If you can’t prove you’ve tried other things first, they’ll be less likely to help foot the bill for the surgery.

Think for yourself

Ultimately, you should research yourself as best as possible so you can make a rational and informed decision.

You need to make your own decision, for your own weight and health, and avoid being influenced by people around you, who may be making judgements and forming opinions about weight loss surgery based on their emotions.

They’re not the ones living your life, you are.

Start a conversation with your family doctor, they’ll be one of most likely to give you an objective recommendation, based on your medical history and what you’ve tried for weight loss in the past.

Don’t be afraid of weight loss surgery just because of what you hear.

Remember, that in some cases, the risks of surgery outweigh the consequences of not losing weight.

But also don’t jump to do the surgery as soon as possible. Long-term weight loss is not a guarantee, and you’ll still need to put in the effort.

Learn more about

• How To Start Your Weight Loss Journey
• Other weight loss procedures

See also

• 
  Comparing Different Gastric Balloons
  Many types of gastric balloons exist, from swallowable to adjustable, although the standard Orbera balloon remains the most commonly used.
• 
  Gastric Balloon Diet Plan
  Once you have a gastric balloon, properly transitioning from liquids on day 1 to 3, to solids by day 14, is key to success on your balloon.
• 
  The Allurion gastric balloon
  The Allurion is a swallowable gastric balloon that naturally passes into the stools itself. However, it is smaller than the Orbera balloon.
• 
  How to Choose a Diet for Weight Loss
  CICO, low carb, keto, high protein, and intermittent fasting are all good beginner diets. However you should modify them to fit your needs.
• 
  Medical Devices for Weight Loss
  Medical devices like lap-bands, gastric balloons, or AspireAssist often face issues that make them less ideal for weight loss than they seem.