Bariatric Surgeon


Bariatric Surgeon


Bariatric surgeries, colloquially referred to as weight loss surgeries, have become a common means for obese people to try and get rid of the excess fat that their body carries. Bariatric procedures are of two kinds – Restrictive Surgeries which reduce the size of the stomach and thus food intake capacity, and Malabsorptive Surgeries which remove parts of the small intestine from the digestive tract to avoid assimilation of calories. Even within these broad contours of surgery, there are different kinds of procedures that alter the organ structures differently. Anyone going for these is assumed to have consulted a qualified bariatric surgeon about which weight loss surgery options to consider. However, it is equally important to know what surgical technique the doctor shall be using – open or laparoscopic procedure.


Any bariatric surgery can be performed either in an open or laparoscopic manner. In an open bariatic surgery, the surgeon makes a large incision in the abdominal area, and conducts the operation through direct observation of the internal organs. Contrarily, in a laparoscopic surgery, the bariatric surgeon shall make several small incisions that are only large enough to let instruments and a special camera through. Here, the projection of images from the surgical camera guides the surgeon through the procedure.


Most experts opine that laparoscopic weight loss surgeries are much better than open surgeries; there are several reasons for this obvious bias. Laparoscopic surgeries have a shorter recovery time – about two to three days, which open surgeries require the patient to be hospitalized for at least five days. Since the incisions made in laparoscopic surgeries are smaller, the healing is a much easier, as compared to open surgeries, wherein healing is protracted, and chances of infection are higher. Also, for extremely obese people, body healing processes are often difficult, which may be a complication if open weight loss surgery is to be performed. This is, however, not to say that no bariatric surgeon performs open surgeries, only that it takes a more skilled doctor to perform such procedures successfully.


The bottom line here is that one must also choose the surgical technique in consultation with a well-reputed bariatric surgeon while deciding amongst the various weight loss surgery options. The technique used – open or laparoscopic – also has an impact on the weight loss results that one hopes to attain through their surgery. Therefore, personal research and advice from informed individuals must play a significant role in decisions regarding weight loss surgeries.

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