Published on : 04 June 20203 min reading time

Obesity is excess fat, usually caused by dietary imbalances or hormonal problems. Obesity surgery is proposed when this excess fat is difficult to treat and the weight becomes dangerous to health. Nowadays, this surgery has become the most widely practiced treatment due to its effectiveness. However, before treatment, it is best to consult your surgeon who will give you advice on the most appropriate technique for your case. After reading this article, you will have a clearer understanding of the techniques that mark the progress made in recent years in terms of obesity surgery, namely the gastric banding technique, the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.

The gastric band technique

How does a gastric band make you lose weight? The adjustable diameter gastric band technique can reduce weight by twenty to thirty kilograms. This obesity surgery involves reducing the volume of the stomach and slowing down the passage of food without affecting the digestion of food. This technique is similar to the hourglass principle. The band connects to a control box under the skin through a tube and fluid is injected into the box to loosen or tighten the band. This device can be removed when a new procedure is performed or if a complication occurs. It can also be removed at the patient’s request or if the device is ineffective. This surgery applies to adults who suffer from severe obesity. His body mass index or BMI (ratio between weight in kilograms and height in square centimetres) is equal to or greater than forty. Be aware that the BMI is between 35 and 40 in case of complications related to obesity.

The gastric bypass or gastric bypass technique

This obesity surgery is based on two principles. On the one hand, the gastric volume is reduced by stapling. After stapling, only one gastric pouch, with a volume between 20 and 30 ml, located on the upper part of the stomach will be kept and the remaining part is no longer used. On the other hand, the absorption of food by the body is decreased due to a connection of the intestine to the upper part of the stomach to create a direct route ″. This technique reduces the amount of food absorbed and causes you to lose 60 to 75% of your excess weight.

The gastrectomy sleeve

With this obesity surgery, approximately two-thirds of the stomach is removed, especially the part that contains the cells that release the hormone that stimulates appetite, called ghrelin. After removal by resection of the large curvature of the stomach, this is reduced to a vertical tube. The sleeve gastrectomy, by reducing the size of the stomach, limits food consumption. Because the stomach is smaller, the patient can no longer ingest too much food. This technique can also change the perception of taste and appetite for certain foods.