Health Improvements
People who undergo surgery for obesity do tend to lose substantial amounts of weight after surgery (50-200+ pounds), and they have a very good chance of maintaining that lower weight for life. You can read more about weight loss outcomes on a separate page, but the point for now is that people routinely recapture much of their lost health through weight loss.
Many medical problems improve as the medical stress caused by weight is reduced. A few of the most important medical improvements that are seen after bariatric surgery are:
- Diabetes – 85% resolved after Gastric Bypass
- GERD – 95% resolved after Gastric Bypass
- High Blood pressure – 60% resolved
- Cancer (all types together) – risk reduced by about 50%
Bariatric surgery also saves lives. It has now been statistically demonstrated in several research papers that, for a person who is morbidly obese, the chance of being alive 5 years from now is at least 40% better with bariatric surgery than without. Note that this outline of benefits is not complete unless it is balanced against the risks of the chosen surgical procedure.
Improved Lifestyle
Most people who suffer from obesity know that the weight is causing lots of problems with lifestyle and function. Here is a partial list of lifestyle factors that can reasonably be expected to improve as weight comes down:
- Improved breathing
- Ability to do normal personal hygeine
- Increased energy level
- Regularly get a good night’s sleep
- Greater confidence
- Improved job or career prospects
- Greater variety in choice of clothes
- Ability to cross legs
- Better ability to travel (mobility, airline seats)
You may also be interested in patient stories about bariatric surgery has affected the lives of some of New Dimensions’ own patients.