The Impact of Gastric Surgery on Health

Weight loss surgeryis also referred to as bariatric surgery, an operation used as a last option for people with adverse weight problems, in the other words those with excessive amounts of fat. There are two types of surgery; firstly, there is the gastric band operation, where a band is used to decrease the stomach’s capacity such that lesser food is needed make one feel full. The second operation is the gastric bypass, in this type of surgery, the body digests less food and requires less food to make one feel full as the digestive system is re-routed past most of your stomach (Pippa & Bupa Health Information Team, 2012). Gastric surgery is becoming more popular with many individuals as the American population experiences unprecedented increases in obesity prevalence rates. Many people find it challenging to lose weight through other means, opting for gastric surgery which is considered as the simplest means with which to address weigh problems. The Most people think that Operation maybe a fast mean towards dropping weight, but eventually it is not the best choice out there. However, most individuals fail to look into the side effects associated with gastric surgery. Gastric surgery is not an appropriate choice considering the health risks associated which often become serious. Furthermore, form of surgery is best suited for people who have struggled for a long time trying to lose weight and not for those who simply seek to loose weight without trying out other available options (Gastric Bypass Surgery, 2013). Gastric surgery operations are on the increase for many reasons though such procedures tend to present multiple health risks which can either be physical or physiological.

In most cases, people undergo gastric surgery in an effort to possess a physical figure similar to a certain model or actor as fashion is the only thing that most people care about nowadays. A slender physical attribute has become the main standard for beauty, as the society tends to adore models in magazines and on television, which has raised the societal need for people to be thin. Women are the most affected persons in society and as such are faced with a significantly high amount of stress just to be slim and resemble models in fashion magazines. Firstly, today’s teenagers are faced with heightened peer pressures to conform to a certain culturally acceptable physical body as publicized in fashion magazines. This increasing pressures, have led more young people to gastric surgery in effort to fell socially acceptable. Fashion magazines precipitate negative ideas in people by making develop a low self esteem with regard to their own personal bodies and upraising false images of unrealistic body shapes which are apparently considered as culturally acceptable. Secondly, images cast on television and movies screens have redefined socially acceptable bodies for women and men. For instance, televisions show slim, fit women with bright white smiles and alluring bodies as the perfect images of beauty. The images on television have made some people perceive their bodies as their worst foe.  Thus, they cannot able to love their bodies regardless of size or shape as long as they are influenced by models and actresses on televisions and in magazines (Weller, 2008).

Research indicates that gastric bypass surgery results in adverse physical side effects. One such side effect is the occurrence of the gastric dumping syndrome, a problem associated with gastric bypass surgery. This occurs when the stomach “dumps” the hard parts of a meal into the lesser bowels without properly digesting them. As a result, the bowels become fuller and bigger, with diarrhea often occurring 30 to 60 minutes later. This causes a lot of discomfort and may even lead to malnutrition if the patient does not receive the necessary medical support. In addition, the intestines are forced to operate beyond their normal capacity, which can affect the heart rate and even blood pressure, which are some of the many symptoms associated with early dumping, other symptoms include lightheadedness and fainting (Banerjee et al., 2012). Another physical side effect of gastric bypass surgery is malnutrition. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies which are a common with weight loss surgery in most cases results in malnutrition. Low vitamins and minerals levels show very fast in patients who have had gastric surgery as this limit food digestion (Kelly, n.d.). This occurs as a result of the dumping syndrome, the stomach does not have the chance to process food effectively such that the body cannot benefit from the vitamins and minerals available in the ingested food. Finally, excess skin is another physiological side effect of gastric bypass surgery. After the amount of fat is gone, the skin may begin to droop off the body. This happens because the skin loses its elasticity when stretched and cannot revert back when the body has unexpectedly lost a high amount of body mass. Excess skin can cause several health problems. One of the most common problems is microbial, fungal, or viral poison resulting from the challenges one faces in keeping the excess skin clean and dry. Patients also experience difficulty in exercising due to the hanging folds of skins (Linville, 2008).

In addition to dangerous physiological effects, gastric bypass surgery can also have negatives emotional effects on the patient. One of the main emotional effects of weight loss surgery is depression. In the first few weeks after surgery, patients usually experience various types of discomfort, including nausea, fatigue, and even severe pain. Due to these complaints, patients’ stress level may rise and depression may keep on. (Jeremy et al., 2013). Another significant emotional effect of weight loss surgery is low self-esteem. While they get rid of the problem of unwanted weight by undergoing gastric surgery, weight loss patients face a new problem caused by the same medical procedure, that is, excess skin. One can gain and lose fat, but one cannot lose extra skin. It aches sometimes, irritates, unattractive, and even uncomfortable. People with loose skin often feel disgusted with themselves and suffer from low self-esteem. Nobody wants to look at his or her body and see layers of skin hanging down (Linville, 2008). Lastly, weight loss patients also experience disappointments and let downs as a result of gastric surgery. Due to the medical complications related to gastric surgery, they may sometimes regain the weight lost, in spite of adhering to healthy eating habits. Moreover, patients sometimes feel that they did not lose as much weight as they had expected or that it takes longer for them to get in shape after the surgery. Naturally, they will start feeling as if they made a mistake, which can lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration (Novak, 2011).