Summit Medical Center - Surgical Treatment Center Oklahoma City OK

With the opening of more weight loss centers in Oklahoma, weight loss surgery has become more common. Oklahoma is the seventh most obese state in the U.S., with nearly one in three adults qualifying as clinically obese. That leaves many Oklahomans contemplating weight loss surgery and wondering if it's right for them.

To know whether a weight loss procedure is the best choice, it's important to understand what makes an ideal candidate. Most weight loss surgery is performed on adults. Although childhood obesity levels are also on the rise, children are not normally candidates because their bodies are still changing and there are many alternatives to surgery (in some cases, where extreme obesity threatens a child's life, weight loss surgery may be recommended). These alternatives also exist for adults, and doctors do not suggest weight loss surgery as a first option. Normally, you should try diet and lifestyle changes (exercise, etc.) first – and surgery is only recommended if these fail. Most adults who receive this surgery have a serious weight-related condition, such as diabetes or morbid obesity, which makes the benefits of surgery offset the risks.

Although weight loss surgery has been refined greatly over the years, people should be aware that it is still a surgical procedure and there can be complications. There are many forms of weight loss surgery: some use a device like a sleeve to restrict the size of the stomach, and some reroute portions of the stomach or small intestine, or remove the parts that absorb the most nutrients or stimulate hunger. All of these procedures involve one or more incisions into the body and some are irreversible.

For many patients, those risks are considered worth it to attain a healthier body. Patients generally lose weight consistently for up to two years after their surgery, achieving results they were not able to get from diet and exercise alone. After this initial weight loss period, most patients will regain some weight, but not usually all of it. The net result for most patients is very positive.

Finally, be aware that weight loss surgery is a commitment to a new diet, which will be tightly controlled for at least a year after your surgery so that the food a person eats does not irritate the stomach and intestines as they heal. Even after this recovery period, there will be restrictions on both what patients can eat and drink and how much. It may be a good idea to spend several months eating a post-surgery diet before deciding to try weight loss surgery.

Weight loss surgery is not for everyone. However, for those whose obesity is causing health problems, it can be an excellent option. What questions do you have about weight loss surgery?

If you are living in Oklahoma and considering weight loss surgery, contact us at Summit Medical Center today for more information. We can help you to decide if this procedure is right for you!