Preparing for weight loss surgery by losing weight prior to the operation may reduce the risk of surgical complications. Patients preparing for a gastric band in North Texas should consider setting goals for pre-surgery weight loss.
Researchers recently conducted a study that examined the medical records of nearly a thousand patients who had undergone weight loss surgery. Their findings seem to indicate that the more weight patients lost before surgery, the fewer complications they had associated with the operation. Post-surgery complications, including infections, blood clots and kidney problems, occurred less often in patients who got a head start on their weight loss. The overall amount of weight these patients lost varied from significant weight loss to some weight gain.
Some surgeons observed that patients who gained weight before Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery had as many as two times the amount of complications as those that lost weight. Their observations seem to be in line with the outcome of the study that compiled information from medical records.
Ultimately, current medical information seems to show that losing weight before weight loss surgery plays a positive role in the success of the surgery. Many surgeons are encouraging their patients to lose weight early. Patients preparing for a gastric band in North Texas can consult with their surgeons, nutritionists, counselors and other professionals to discuss weight loss before surgery. Patients who use the information they gather to begin developing new eating habits and lose weight before surgery may reduce their risk of complications.
