If you’ve been working tirelessly towards a healthier weight but have seen little to no results no matter how much effort you put in, it may be time to consider more invasive solutions. One of the most common procedures to help patients jumpstart their weight loss journey is gastric bypass surgery. 

Continue reading to learn more about this procedure so you can decide whether this may be a solution worth pursuing. 

Gastric Bypass Surgery: What You Need to Know

The Procedure

Gastric bypass surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is completed laparoscopically and consists of two steps. The first step is to make your stomach smaller by dividing the upper stomach from the lower stomach. The second step will connect the upper stomach directly to part of the small intestine. The surgery will require four to six small incisions, which results in minimal scarring.

How to Prepare

Prior to surgery, it is important to establish your new, healthy eating habits so that your body won’t have to work so hard to adjust to your healthier lifestyle after surgery. Likewise, most doctors agree that losing 5 to 10% of your body weight prior to the surgery will result in a faster recovery time. 

Once your surgery is complete, you’ll have to participate in minimal physical activity and follow a strict diet as your body readjusts. For this reason it is recommended that you create space for this recovery before the surgery takes place.

The Risks

The good news is that gastric bypass procedure is generally considered safe. As with all surgical procedures, however, there are certainly risks that are worth being discussed. Your health care provider will walk you through these risks to help you decide if the procedure is right for you. 

The best way to minimize risk is to go to an experienced and reputable surgeon and to follow all the recommended precautions both in preparing for the surgery and during recovery.

The Results

A gastric bypass in and of itself will not fulfill your weight loss goals. The success of this procedure largely depends on your ability to commit to lifelong lifestyle changes, including a healthier diet and regular exercise. For this reason, it is vital that you find a healthcare provider you can trust to walk you through every step of the process and continue to monitor you after the surgery is complete. 

Schedule Your First Appointment in Morehead City, NC

If you’re ready to speak to a healthcare specialist to see if you’d be a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery, contact Carolina Center for Surgery. We provide a variety of healthcare treatments in Morehead City, North Carolina. Give us a call to get started today.