Week 10: Bariatrics

Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. Although diet and exercise are the first-line treatment, medical therapy for severe obesity has limited success. Weight loss surgery generally yields greater weight loss, improvements in quality of life, and decrease in obesity related disease. 

I had the opportunity this week to spend quite a bit of time in a bariatric surgical center. Patients who undergo weight loss surgery are provided pre and post surgical nutritional classes. These classes are designed to help patients identify healthy foods and establish good eating habits that assist in reaching and maintaining their ideal weight.

Exercise is also a key component in weight loss program. Patients who exercise at least thirty minutes a day following weight loss surgery lose weight thirty percent faster. Like many things in life, weight lose surgery requires a firm and lifelong commitment to lifestyle changes on the part of the patient.

This particular center provides a variety of procedures, with the band, bypass, and sleeve being the most popular. While the band and the sleeve restrict consumption, the bypass both restricts and causes malabsorption making it the “gold standard” for obesity surgery.

As part of my understanding on obesity procedures, I was offered the opportunity to observe a gastric bypass.

It was by far one of the coolest things I’ve seen in my internship! If you’re interested in the logistics of the procedure, here is a “blood-free, gore-free” Video of a roux-en-y.

There are a lot of misconceptions about obesity, bariatric surgery, and the changes in lifestyle post-surgery. Whatever the choice, significant weight loss is never easy, and I respect the patient all the same. Julia Holloman, a veteran of gastric bypass, writes a fantastic blog Miles to Go that chronicles her experiences with weight loss surgery. I highly recommend her blog to anyone considering a procedure.

Until next week,

S