Weight Loss Surgery Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is obesity?
Obesity is a disease that occurs when a person carries excess weight or body fat that might affect their health. Obesity is measured medically by your body mass index or BMI. People are generally considered to be obese when they have a BMI of thirty or more. Here is Weight Loss Surgery FAQs
Why would you consider surgery for obesity?
Bariatric surgery isn’t just designed to help you lose the excess weight quickly and effectively. Weight loss surgery has also been shown to be effective at resolving many obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and others. Many bariatric surgery patients also report taking fewer medications to treat their obesity-related conditions.
What causes obesity?
Obesity is caused by consuming more calories than you burn off through regular movement and exercise. Obesity doesn’t happen overnight. It occurs over time through unhealthy dietary and exercise habits.
Our bodies use the food we eat as sources of energy. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fats and sugars, but do not burn the energy off through physical activity, the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat. Over time, increasing weight gain can lead to obesity.
In some cases, underlying medical conditions may contribute to weight gains, such as an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) and Cushing’s syndrome, which is a rare disorder that causes an overproduction of steroid hormones.
Medications for epilepsy and diabetes can also contribute to obesity, as can the weight gain typically associated with smoking cessation.
When should weight loss surgery be considered?
Dr. Moein may recommend weight loss surgery if your BMI is at least 30 or higher and you have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight with diet and exercise alone for the past six months.
How can surgery make me lose weight?
Weight loss surgeries affect you in a variety of ways. Most surgeries restrict the number of calories you are allowed to consume. When you can no longer eat as much as before, your body begins burning fat rapidly. Many weight loss surgeries also affect the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. You will feel more satiated more quickly at meals and you will find yourself eating more healthily because your relationship with food will improve. Overall, you should find yourself eating smaller and healthier meals following weight loss surgery, contributing to the quick loss of your excess fat.
Why can I expect weight loss surgery to work, when so many other weight loss remedies have failed me?
Unlike diet programs, pills, and other weight loss remedies, weight loss surgery often alters your stomach and digestion mechanisms to force you to eat smaller and healthier meals. Gastric sleeve, for example, involves the removal of 75% of your stomach. This creates a smaller pocket for food to enter, limiting how much you can eat. The surgery also affects your hunger and satiation, helping you control cravings and portions. You will not only consume smaller amounts of food, but you will find yourself craving healthier foods, leading to rapid and long-term weight loss.
What is the worst thing that can happen after weight loss surgery?
Aside from medical complications, like an infection, which would always be bad, the worst thing that could happen following weight loss surgery is weight regain. We have ways of combating weight regain if it ever happens to you. Ask Dr. Moein during your initial consultation about your options regarding weight regain following bariatric surgery.
How big will my incisions be?
Many weight loss surgeries involve laparoscopic cameras that feed into the body through tiny incisions, as the back of a pencil.
What are the advantages of laparoscopy?
There are many advantages of laparoscopy, which involves the surgeon using fiber-optic equipment that is inserted through your abdominal wall. The minuscule camera allows your surgeon to view your internal organs and abdomen on a screen in real-time, improving surgical accuracy. Furthermore, with laparoscopy, the surgery is minimally invasive, the incisions are tiny, and complications are rare.
What are the risks of weight loss surgery?
There are always risks involved with surgery. Going under anesthesia brings risks and there is a risk of bleeding, blood clots, delayed healing, infections, and poor results. However, Dr. Moeinolmolki is world-renowned for his safe procedures that deliver significant results. Dr. Moein takes every precaution to ensure your safety and produce results that meet with your expectations. Years of experience and a philosophy of safety is at the heart of successful outcomes.
Will my insurance cover the operation?
If your surgery is for medical reasons, such as weight loss surgery to combat obesity, your insurance might cover the operation in full or part. Cosmetic procedures are generally not covered unless there is also an accompanying medical reason. An example is a panniculectomy, which is the removal of excess skin and fat following an extreme fat loss.
Check with your insurer to see if bariatric surgery is covered and discuss other costs with Dr. Moein during your initial consultation.
Is there a weight limit for laparoscopic weight loss surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery is recommended for patients who have exceeded their ideal body weight by 100 pounds. There is no weight limit, though Dr. Moein may recommend that you lose some weight naturally prior to undergoing laparoscopic surgery for the sake of safety. Call to schedule an initial consultation to learn more.
Is there a minimum weight required for obesity surgery?
Bariatric surgeons would prefer that you be at least 100 pounds over your ideal weight with a BMI of 40 or more. Some surgeons will consider BMIs lower than 40 if there are obesity-related medical conditions present like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others. For patients with a BMI of 30 and above the surgery is often considered on an individual basis, taking into consideration your risk and benefit and expected an outcome from surgery.
I had previous abdominal surgery. Can my surgery still be performed laparoscopically?
Revision surgery following a previous abdominal procedure is possible, but we need more information to give you a definitive answer. An initial consultation with Dr. Moein can help you better understand what went wrong with your initial surgery and if your surgery can be performed laparoscopically. Call to book your consultation with Dr. Moein.
Will I be able to get pregnant following a weight loss surgery like gastric bypass?
Gastric bypass surgery affects your stomach and some of your digestion. Your reproductive organs will remain unaffected.
However, you should wait at least 18 months following surgery to get pregnant. It is safe to get pregnant after gastric bypass as long as your weight has stabilized.
Will I be hungry after bariatric surgery since I’m eating much less?
Many weight loss surgeries like gastric sleeve affect the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. They also limit the amount of food you eat. As you consume smaller portions, your body begins to feel fuller faster, leading to long-term weight loss without all the maddening cravings.
How will alcohol affect me after bariatric surgery?
Alcohol may affect you more rapidly than before following bariatric surgery. Furthermore, rapid weight loss coupled with low food intake could lead to dangerously low blood sugar, putting your health at risk. It would be best to significantly limit or stop your use of alcohol following bariatric surgery for the sake of your lifelong health. In addition, some may replace one form of addiction with another and it is important to identify alcohol if it plays this role. Also, alcohol may act as a trigger that causes inappropriate eating behavior that sabotages your success.
How long will I be in the hospital after bariatric surgery?
One of the benefits of laparoscopic surgery is that Dr. Moein only needs to make small cuts. Most patients go home on the same day or an overnight stay. Your recovery time depends on your procedure and general health. Ask Dr. Moein during your initial consultation about the recovery you can expect for the bariatric procedure you have in mind.
How long after bariatric surgery can I return to work?
That all depends on how much you tend to strain at your job. Most people are back to work in one or two weeks following bariatric surgery. If you work a strenuous job like construction, Dr. Moein may recommend you take even longer before you go back to work.
What are the advantages of having my weight loss surgery at the Healthy Life Bariatrics?
Dr. Moein is known around the world as one of the best bariatric and Cosmetic plastic surgeons working today. Dr. Moein is unique in that he is board-certified and fellowship trained in both bariatric and cosmetic surgery. This allows him to offer both weight loss and body contouring procedures, which help you lose excess fat for health’s sake, and look your best after the surgery has done its job. This consolidates your overall care under one roof and allows you to get the best treatment from an experienced physician that knows you well through your weight loss journey and post weight loss body contouring.
Talk to Dr. Moein about the weight loss and body contouring procedures you have in mind. Dr. Moein lives and operates in Los Angeles, but he has helped patients from all across the globe. Call to schedule your consultation with Dr. Moein today.
After I lose weight can I have my LAP-BAND® taken out?
Many patients wonder if they can have their LAP-BAND® removed after they have achieved their goal weight. The LAP-BAND® is designed to remain in place indefinitely. We have studies that show that removing the lap band reduces hunger satiation, which means that you may no longer feel satisfied with small portions. While gastric banding is reversible, we recommend that you do not have the band removed once you meet your goal weight.
How do I choose the right bariatric or body contouring procedure for me?
Dr. Moein can recommend a bariatric or body contouring procedure based on a full analysis of your body goals and health. Dr. Moein will take into account your medical history and current health status to help you lose weight or sculpt your body in accordance with your realistic expectations. Call to schedule your appointment with Dr. Moein and see which procedures you might qualify for at Healthy Life Bariatrics.
What makes a patient successful with weight loss surgery?
The most successful patients are the ones who follow Dr. Moein’s guidelines before, during, and after surgery. Dr. Moein will ensure that you are an ideal patient and of sound health before surgery is scheduled. After the procedure is scheduled, Dr. Moein and staff will help you have a safe procedure and guide you through a comfortable recovery. As long as you follow the guidelines you are given, you should be successful with weight loss surgery.
How will I know when my LAP-BAND® requires an adjustment?
You might require an adjustment if you find yourself hungry and looking for food or if you have difficulty swallowing or experience acid reflux. Dr. Moein will monitor your progress closely to determine when adjustments to your LAP-BAND® should be made.
Will I have sagging skin following bariatric surgery?
Many patients do experience sagging skin after they have lost a significant portion of their excess weight. In previous years, insurance covered a procedure called panniculectomy, which is the removal of excess skin and fat following extreme weight loss. Then, insurers stopped covering the procedure for a number of years, calling the procedure elective as opposed to medical in nature.
These days, insurers have changed their minds due to lawmaker pressure. Your insurer could cover the removal of any excess skin following your weight loss surgery. The good news for you is that Dr. Moein is board-certified in both bariatric surgery and body contouring, which means that we can perform both your weight loss surgery and the follow-up panniculectomy, body lift, breast lift under a single roof. Call to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Moein to learn more.
Who is an ideal candidate for single incision LAP-BAND® surgery?
The ideal candidate for a single incision LAP-BAND® is someone with a body mass index lower than 45kg/m2 and no prior abdominal surgeries are able to avoid sweets and sodas. Find out if you are a good candidate for LAP-BAND® surgery by calling Healthy Life Bariatrics to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Moein.
