Dr. Feiz and Associates Answers Bariatric Patient-Submitted Question of the Month: “Why Lose Weight Before Bariatric Surgery”
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 16, 2015 -- For patients who have elected to undergo weight loss surgery, they may consider their surgical date as the official start date of their weight loss journey. Yet, for most patients, losing weight prior to the surgery can be advantageous for a number of reasons. According to Greater Los Angeles bariatric surgeon Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S., there are several factors that make pre-surgical weight loss a good idea for patients looking for more positive outcomes throughout their entire weight loss journey. Here are three of the biggest reasons:
- “It Provides for a Smoother Surgery” – One of the reasons why many surgeons ask patients to lose weight before an operation is to help reduce the risk of potential surgical complications. While weight loss surgery as a whole has been proven to be relatively safe, with many doctors comparing the risks to those of appendectomies or gall bladder surgeries, small risks still exist. Yet, if a patient loses weight before the procedure, the surgeon will have more space inside the chest cavity to maneuver.
- “It Helps Patients Get Used to Smaller Intake” – Weight loss surgery works by restricting the capacity of the stomach in various ways so that portion control is much more feasible for patients. This means that bariatric patients have to adapt to an entirely new relationship with food after their surgery. One of the big reasons that some patients opt for Lap Band removal is that they are having difficulty coping with this new reality. Some patients find that reducing their intake a certain amount before the surgery is a good way to ease into this new relationship so that the transition does not feel overly drastic.
- “It Can Minimize Loose Skin” – One of the only downsides of weight loss reported by many bariatric patients is that they are left with some loose skin after the extremely rapid weight loss that comes with bariatric surgery. This is often due to the fact that a patient’s fat cells shrink faster than the elasticity of the skin is able to adjust and retract to the new levels. It is generally true, though, that patients who lose weight faster have more loose skin. This means that spreading the same weight loss over a longer period of time can help reduce the loose skin somewhat. When patients start their weight loss journey shortly before surgery, this gives their skin slightly more time to adjust.
For more information about Lap Band vs Gastric Sleeve, or to learn more about Dr. Feiz’s work helping patients achieve their ideal weight, patients can call Dr. Feiz & Associates at (800) 868-5946. They can also learn more on their website, http://www.drfeiz.com.
Michael Clauw, Cyberset Corp, +1 (818) 883-7277 Ext: 121, [email protected]
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