Discover if gastric bypass surgery is right for you

Weight loss can be difficult to achieve at the best of times. It takes patience and discipline to stay on course and get the results you want, and maintaining a healthy body weight can often pose a lifelong challenge. If you've tried every diet and exercise plan, and are still struggling to shed the pounds, you might be thinking about other weight loss options.

At what point is it time to take a more drastic step like gastric bypass surgery or laparoscopic band surgery to improve your health and increase your overall wellness?

Canada is putting on weight
According to Health Canada, over the past 25 years the number of overweight or obese adults countrywide have increased at an alarming rate, putting sufferers at risk for serious illness like high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, a recent report released by Statistics Canada shows that as obesity numbers continue to rise, those who are already overweight are more likely to continue to put on weight rather than lose it.

Is weight loss surgery for you?
Bariatric surgeon Dr. Patrick Yau says that to qualify at the basic level for a surgical intervention a patient should have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40, or greater than 35 with significant medical problems related to obesity. If you meet these early criteria, you can work with your family physician to explore your medical and weight loss history to determine if you are a good candidate for referral to a specialist.

You can find out how to calculate your BMI here.

What is gastric bypass surgery?
Gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) is a procedure where the stomach is divided into two sections, creating a small, walnut-sized pouch out of the upper stomach where food then travels directly to the small intestine, bypassing the larger part of the stomach and limiting the amount of food the patient is allowed to take in and digest. This in-patient surgery takes approximately four hours, and within the first year, patients can expect to lose between 10 and 20 pounds per month.

"Because the stomach is made smaller, patients can only generally eat a small amount," Dr. Yau explains. "In essence, this operation irreversibly alters the patients anatomy – the stomach is stapled and a portion of the bowel is altered so that a patient's ability to absorb nutrients is diminished."

Page 1 of 2 - read about laparoscopic band surgery on page 2.