Gastric bypass is one of the most common weight loss surgeries that you can have. The procedure is meant to make surgical changes to your stomach and the entire digestive system to help you consume as little food as possible. With little food consumption, you are able to limit the calories and nutrients you get into your body, resulting to significant weight loss.
Despite these advantages, gastric bypass is not ideal for everyone out there. Just like any other weight loss procedure, gastric bypass does carry its own health risks and side effects. Furthermore, for the process to be beneficial, you have to be ready to make certain lifestyle changes. It is because of these issues that gastric bypass does not appeal to everyone. This article looks at whether gastric bypass is good for you.
Requirements for Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass is not for everyone that feels the need to shed some weight quickly. It is a procedure for the selected few. The procedure should be done on individuals that have tried other weight loss methods and failed. It should be done on people that are at the risk of weight-related health complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and heart disease. Gastric bypass is also recommended for those people that have a body mass index of 40 or higher.
The Medical Evaluation Process
You may meet the aforementioned requirements, but doctors will also need to come in to ensure that gastric bypass is ideal for you. The medical evaluation process usually entails doing certain tests to ensure no underlying issues that might cause complications during or after the gastric bypass procedure. The medical screening process is usually extensive and it is meant to ensure that you qualify and that the benefits of the procedure will outweigh any risks involved.
Apart from checking your physical body, doctors also take time to check your mental state to make sure that you are psychologically ready for the surgery. The reason for doing this is that the procedure may lead to some risks especially on people with mental health issues that are not properly managed.
Areas Considered by Doctors to Check if Gastric Bypass is Ideal for You
- Your Medical History
The first thing that your doctor will need to check is your medical history. This is an important step because it determines whether the gastric bypass procedure will be conducted or not. The operation cannot be done if you have serious heart, liver, stomach, and kidney issues. The team hence conducts tests to ensure your body is good for surgery. In case of such underlying issues, then the doctors will need to first deal with them before the surgery can take place.
During this step, your doctor will also examine any medication you take, whether you smoke, and the amount of alcohol you drink. You will also be evaluated for other conditions like sleep apnea. The results of these medical tests will determine whether you are an eligible candidate for gastric bypass.
- Your Weight History
Your doctor will evaluate your weight history, eating habits, dieting, workout routine, level of stress caused by all these, and many other factors.
- Your Psychological Status
As earlier stated, your mental state is quite important prior to going through a gastric bypass procedure. The reasoning behind this is that you will need to make drastic changes to your lifestyle after the surgery. You hence need to be mentally strong so you can easily make these changes to ensure you accrue the benefits of the procedure. If you are not in the right psychological status, you might find yourself going through issues such as binge eating, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. If you have these problems before the procedure, the need to be fixed before the gastric bypass surgery. Failure to do this can lead to more serious mental and psychological issues.
Gastric bypass can be advantageous but it has to be done on the right candidate. Although you might experience some complications after surgery, it is still worth the risk for anyone that has tried other weight loss methods like dieting and exercise but failed. If your weight problem is causing other problems that might be life threatening, then gastric bypass can help save your life. Nevertheless, you should understand all the requirements and risks involved and decide for yourself whether this procedure is good for you. For further assistance on the same, consider reaching out to professionals.
