Obesity Texas style sounds like it could be a good thing, but that’s only because doing anything Texas style has this romanticism about it; obesity is not one of them. Obesity has become such a big problem that weight loss surgery in San Antonio is becoming big business, with no signs of slacking off in the near future. According to Men’s Fitness Magazine, San Antonio is listed as America’s fattest city in 2009. With the wide-spread obesity problems in our largest cities, Texas might soon be the fattest state in the country. Maybe this is why so many skilled surgeons are performing weight loss surgery in San Antonio on a daily basis.
Weightloss surgery in San Antonio is readily available to those who can afford it. Prices tags of between $12,000 and $30,000 can be cost prohibitive for a large portion of the people who could benefit most from it. Even insurers who were once reluctant to pay for it are starting to understand it’s often a medical necessity. There are medical practices and private financing options available to meet most needs.
There are several different types of bariatric procedures to choose from when you decide to have your weightloss surgery in San Antonio. The term Gastric Bypass actually encompasses five options of surgeries.
1. Laparoscopic gastric bypass is the chosen form of this type procedure, as opposed to open gastric bypass. This is also the most commonly performed type. With a small pouch placed at the top of the stomach and areas of small intestines are re-routed so there is a restriction of the amount of food that can be eaten as well as the amount calories that can be absorbed. This surgery has the ability to reverse diabetes. The laparscopic bypass uses smaller incisions with less pain and much faster healing times.
2. The reason why Lap band surgery is gaining popularity is that it can also be done laparoscopically, and it allows the patient to either loosen or tighten the band. This procedure is the safest, most affordable, and the most popular of all procedures. The surgery only takes about 30 minutes.
3. Similar to lap band surgery, Vertical Banded Gastroplasty involves stapling the stomach to make it smaller, and then a band is put beneath so that the patient feels full for longer. There is no bypass involved and patients are still able to absorb all nutrients from the food they eat. With the advent of the lap band, the surgery has begun to lose popularity. The pouch starts out small but expands with time which makes loosing weight and keeping it off much more difficult.
4. Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch is a much more radical procedure but it produces extremely fast and lasting weight loss. The procedure is conducted to restrict the amount of food as well as prohibit the absorption of nutrients and calories. Patients who receive this surgery must carefully supplement their diets to avoid being malnourished.
5. Weight Loss Revision Surgery allows patients who have already undergone one type gastric bypass but are still obese to try another type or have the first one redone. Most revisions can be accomplished through laparoscopic means.
Many new state of the art facilities have sprung up around San Antonio. Some of these are hospitals within hospitals while others are self-contained clinics even. Gastric bypass has evolved into art where the facilities have been re-thought for the benefit of the patient and to assist the surgeons to better apply their skills. These new facilities have been designed to allow for ease of access from one area to another by simply installing wider doorways, the equipment has been designed with the weight and girth of larger patients in mind, and patient monitoring in these facilities have been much improved. With the rise in obesity Texas is fortunate to have so many highly skilled surgeons and facilities to choose from.
You can research weight loss surgery in san antonio by contacting any of the hospitals or centers in the alamo city for more information. As with any surgery, risks and benefits should be weighed carefully, and talking to a surgeon skilled in gastric bypass will help answer any questions.
