Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker, Bariatric & Laparoscopic Surgeon
As a bariatric surgeon practicing in Mumbai, every day, I counsel patients about the benefits and risks of obesity. When you are getting into a surgery, it is very important to know about risks and benefits of that surgery. It is also the duty of the doctor to explain every thing honestly and clearly. It is proven that when patients know what to expect, their outcomes are much better. Some of the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery are listed as under:
Benefits of bariatric surgery
- Significant weight loss
Bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss of about 60 to 75% of the excess body weight in patients with clinically severe obesity. This happens gradually over a period of 1 to 1.5 years. This weight loss is easier to sustain and weight regain is much slower after bariatric surgery in mumbai, as compared to other modalities of weight loss.
- Improvement in type 2 diabetes
Bariatric surgery leads to a much better control of blood sugars in obese patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Early diabetics may experience complete remission of diabetes whereas patients with long standing diabetes may experience reduction in anti-diabetic medications.
- Improvement in other co-morbidities
Bariatric surgery leads to an improvement in all associated diseases of obesity. Rate of improvement is as listed in the table below:
| SN | OBESITY ASSOCIATED DISEASES | EFFECT OF BARIATRIC SURGERY | PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENT |
| 1 | Quality of life | Improves | Upto 95% |
| 2 | Relative risk of mortality | Decreases | Upto 89% in 5 years |
| 3 | Metabolic Syndrome | Improves | Upto 80% |
| 4 | Type 2 diabetes | Improves | 82 -98% |
| 5 | High blood pressure | Improves | 60 -70% |
| 6 | Hypercholesterolemia | Improves | 60-65% |
| 7 | Risk of heart disease | Decreases | |
| 8 | Obstructive sleep apnoea | Improves | 74 – 98% |
| 9 | PCOD | Improves | Upto 75% |
| 10 | Venous stasis disease | Improves | Upto 95% |
| 11 | Osteo-arthritis/Joint disease | Improves | Upto 41% |
| 12 | Urinary stress incontinence | Improves | Upto 44% |
| 13 | Depression | Improves | Upto 47% |
| 14 | Gout | Improves | Upto 72% |
| 15 | Infertility | Improves |
- Quality of life
Bariatric surgery leads to improvement in quality of life in more than 95% of patients.
- Improvement in overall confidence
- Bariatric surgery gives a person a new life
Risks of bariatric surgery
Every surgical procedure has an inherent set of associated risks and side effects. Doctors and patients are partners and equal stake-holders in the treatment of any illness. Risks and benefit ratio must be weighed before advising any surgery to a patient. The total complication rate after bariatric surgery is from 1 to 5% and depends upon the patient’s clinical status and associated co-morbidities. Staple line leaks, strictures, venous thrombo-embolism, marginal ulcers, intestinal obstruction, nutritional deficiencies etc can happen after any bariatric surgery, but the chances of these happening are less than 1 to 2%. Bariatric surgery is safer than many other advanced gastro-intestinal surgeries, such as oesophageal cancer surgery or a heart surgery. The risk after bariatric surgery is the same as for example a gall bladder removal surgery or a knee replacement surgery.
In the selected patient population, the benefits of bariatric surgery, far outweigh its risks and one must not hold back from getting treated just for the fear of possible complications. Of course, one must consult a bariatric surgery for proper risk stratification and to understand the pros and cons in detail. Every patient is different and reacts differently to surgery or any other form of treatment and hence a proper evaluation and risk assessment prior to surgery is mandatory.
About Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker
Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker is an accomplished Bariatric Surgeon and Laparoscopic Surgeon. She is very renowned and is extremely passionate about her field of specialization.
Read more about Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker- https://www.bestbariatricsurgeon.org/dr-aparna-govil-bhasker/
Please write in to info@bestbariatricsurgeon.org or draparnagovil@gmail.com & Call/Text/WhatsApp: +919819566618 or +919930922761
Dr. Aparna’s website is- https://www.bestbariatricsurgeon.org
You can read her lovely blogs on- http://www.aparnagovilbhasker.com
Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker is a visiting consultant at the following hospitals:
- Gleneagles Global Hospital, Parel, Mumbai
- Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, Khar West, Mumbai
- Apollo Hospital, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai
- Suchak Hospital, Malad, Mumbai
- Namaha Hospital Kandivali, Mumbai
- Currae Specialty Hospital, Thane
- MGM Hospital, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
- Apollo Spectra Hospital, Tardeo and Chembur, Mumbai
- Saifee Hospital, Mumbai
Patient Stories
Mansi considered bariatric/ weight loss surgery as she was suffering from grade III obesity with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 47.5 Kg/m2. At 121.7 Kg she was not able to exercise much due to severe knee pain. She would feel breathless on exertion. Her sonography revealed grade II fatty liver. She underwent a Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy on 14th of November 2018. She knew that bariatric surgery was not a shortcut to weight loss, and worked very hard on changing her lifestyle post surgery. She exercises for 2-3 hours daily and follows a great diet regime. She has an amazing will power as she was able to accomplish her goal of climbing more than 3000 steps at Palitana just after 2 months post surgery. She lost 35.7 Kg in 6 months, we salute her grit and determination!
