If you are considering undergoing bariatric surgery, you will have a number of very important decisions to make. All surgeries have risks associated with them, as well as benefits. You need to find out whether the benefits outweigh the risks, which will help you to decide whether or not to go for the surgery. When you find bariatric surgery doctors, they should give you clear information about the pros and cons, so that you are empowered to make the decision that is right for you. Below are some of the disadvantages of undergoing bariatric surgery. These go above and beyond the risks associated with this surgery, however.
Disadvantages of Bariatric Surgery
The first set of risks is all related to what people probably already know: surgery is always risky. And it is certainly true that these risks could be as bad as death. The doctors at Bariatric Surgery Texas will help you be realistic about the fact that the procedure has the potential to have lethal complications.
Besides the fact that there are medical risks with the procedure, there are also some other types of disadvantages. One of the ones that is most often mentioned by patients is the fact that they are left with excessive skin after losing their weight. If you follow a very strict exercise regime, you can lower the amount of excess skin, but it is almost impossible to avoid it altogether. Most of the time, people who lose a significant amount of weight through bariatric surgery will eventually have other cosmetic procedures in order to remove this skin as well. And this, naturally, carries risks with it again. While the skin doesn’t pose any health risks, it is a constant reminder of the fact that you were once obese. Additionally, it means that you still won’t have that body that looks great in a bikini, unfortunately, which can be disappointing.
Although rare, there are some people who feel that they lose some of their identity when they lose the weight. They have become accustomed to actually being overweight and they often don’t understand where they fit in anymore in terms of their social circles. The opposite can also happen, in as such that people cut themselves off from those who have stood by them, somehow blaming them for the fact that they were overweight in the first place. It is for these reasons that people are always properly psychologically assessed before they are offered weight loss surgery. Some people also still have a very unhealthy relationship with food, and this means that they often require further psychological health.
The reality is that bariatric surgery is a fantastic tool to help people lose weight, particularly if they have already tried everything else. However, you must be aware of the disadvantages that are associated with this procedure as well. Only you can decide whether the physical and emotional benefits outweigh the potential issues. You should have significant discussions with your surgeon and their team about this before you decide to go ahead with the procedure or not.
Michelle S says
I really love that you say this is a tool! I completely agree. Too many people see this as a miracle solution and don’t realize that it’s a tool and they have to change their habits also.
Rust says
One of my good friends had this done and she is so pleased with the results and highly recommends it. Good article!
Janelle K. says
I have a good friend who had this surgery. She used this as her tool and motivation to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. She is so much happier now.
kath g says
I don’t really know a lot about the subject so it was an interesting read. You made a lot of good points and I hope people consider them all. I always think of surgery as a last resort for anything because it can have so many unintended consequences, including serious infection or even death.