Bariatric Surgery
The benefits of Bariatric Surgery
Weight Loss
Bariatric surgery offers a substantial weight loss of up to 70% of your excess weight. The weight loss is regardless of the surgical option that you choose but must be combined with your discipline, an appropriate dietetic support and regular exercise. Bariatric surgery is proven to be superior in maintaining weight loss compared to conventional methods such as dieting, exercise, pharmacotherapy or in combinations.
Treating Diabetes
Compared to the best medical therapies including insulin injection, bariatric surgery is a more effective long term treatment for type 2 diabetes irrespective of the weight loss.
Treating Obesity-related Medical Conditions
Many obesity-related medical conditions will be either completely resolved or significantly improved by bariatric surgery. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fatty liver disease, joints arthritis and even some early cancers such as cancer of the uterus. Two thirds of high blood pressure will be cured. Patients who used a CPAP machine for their sleep apnoea are usually able to discontinue their CPAP machine in 6-12 months. And in patients who needed a joint replacement, many of times their surgery can be avoided or forestalled after bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Bariatric surgery has been proven to not only extend life, but also improves the quality of life that it prolongs.
Psychological Benefits
Obesity is associated with psychological conditions such as depression, social anxiety, low self-esteem and loss of libido. Through successful weight loss with bariatric surgery, many patients will regain their confidence. They will experience an improvement in their mood and body image. That helps patients to resume and enjoy social events again. The improved mobility and stamina, that were once lost due to obesity or joint pains, now enable patients to engage into many physical outdoor activities with their families.
Bariatric Surgery Options
How does Bariatric Surgery works?
Bariatric surgery works in twofold:
All bariatric procedures provide a fixed restriction of the amount of food and calories intake.
Bariatric surgery, however, works far beyond just food restriction. The greater impact of bariatric surgery is the modulation of hunger and appetite centres of the brain. Bariatric surgery achieves this by optimising the internal signals (hormones) that travel between the stomach, the intestine, muscles, fat layers and the brain. This stops the body fighting what the brain desires.
The combined effects of bariatric surgery are a negative energy balance together with a favourable modification of eating behaviour towards a successful and sustainable weight loss.
What is Obesity?
BMI and Obesity
| BMI | Classification |
| < 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | Healthy weight |
| 25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight |
| ≥ 30.0 | Obese |
Sunnybank Private Hospital
Suite 30, Level 2, Sunnybank Specialist Centre
245 McCullough Street, Sunnybank QLD4109
Phone: 07 3518 8626 Fax: 07 3319 6658