By: Dr. Scott Perryman
With obesity becoming a prevalent health concern in America today, many people struggling with their weight are wondering what their options are for taking control of their health.
Obesity is a difficult disease that affects many aspects of an individual’s quality of life. Each person’s experience with obesity will differ, and so their treatment should reflect their experience and desired outcome. Among the solutions to obesity, there are many different forms of bariatric surgeries to help empower patients by taking control of their eating habits.
Bariatric surgeries will dramatically improve your weight. Types of weight loss surgery that Whole Health Weight Loss Institute offers are an intragastric balloon, vertical sleeve gastrectomy, roux-en-y gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band procedures.
Intragastric Balloon
A balloon weight loss surgery is a non-surgical endoscopic procedure that helps you better control your food portions.
One of the safest weight loss surgeries is the intragastric balloon. This endoscopic procedure uses a flexible camera to help move an uninflated balloon through the mouth into the stomach. An Orbera gastric balloon is placed in your stomach and inflated with a saline solution to about the size of a grapefruit. The balloon takes up space and helps you feel full faster and stop eating sooner. The balloon helps you control overeating and snacking habits.
With an intragastric balloon, you can lose up to 25% of your excess body weight. This procedure will help you drop weight quickly and achieve a healthier BMI.
BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is calculated by taking measurements of your height, weight, and age. Your BMI is helpful to know because it helps doctors and health care providers have a good understanding of what a healthy weight looks like for you. It’s also helpful to know what your ideal BMI is so that you can set an achievable goal weight. After 6 months, the balloon must be removed in a similar fashion to how it was inserted.
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
This form of surgery is dramatic and will cause dramatic results.
A sleeve gastrectomy surgery is an invasive surgery that reduces the size of your stomach. This weight reduction surgery will help you eat less and control eating habits. In your procedure, your surgeon will remove 80% to 90% of your stomach using a special stapling device, leaving it in a size and shape similar to a banana. This procedure can help you lose up to 65% of your excess body weight. This weight loss surgery will help to promote a healthy lifestyle and decrease obesity.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
This is another surgical treatment for weight loss. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reduces the stomach by 95% and redirects food into the small intestine. This will provide two main advantages. With a smaller stomach, you will better control eating habits, feel full faster and eat less. When you do eat, the bypass will allow fewer calories to be absorbed from the food. This will significantly improve your weight and can help you to lose up to 75% of your excess body weight.
Adjustable Gastric Band
Another surgical weight loss procedure is the adjustable gastric band. This procedure is also performed laparoscopically. After entering the abdomen, a silicone band is placed around the upper part of your stomach. Once in place, the band can be inflated with a saline solution to control the opening between your upper and lower stomach. This will slow down your eating and help you feel full faster. The saline solution can be increased or decreased through a portal placed just below the skin in your abdomen.
This procedure helps patients achieve a healthy weight and the band can be removed just as easily as it was applied. The gastric band can help you lose up to 50% of your excess weight.
If you have a BMI greater than 35, you may be an ideal candidate for one of these procedures. There are many benefits to each procedure, the primary one being a significant decrease in weight. Lowering your weight to a healthy level for your BMI (19-25) will greatly improve your day-to-day life. It will also help decrease your risk for associated health diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and many more.
The result of overcoming obesity is an improved quality of life.
At a healthy weight, there will be less pressure applied to your joints. Mobility will be easier and aches and pains that are caused by weight should decrease. On top of the physical benefits, you will also enjoy psychological improvements. Many patients find that their weight loss procedure empowers and encourages them to continue to live better and healthier lifestyles. Significant weight loss will often boost patients’ confidence. It’s easier to find clothing and patients who may have been self-conscious when out in public, now feel comfortable and at ease.
Above all, it is very important to choose a surgical weight loss procedure that is healthy and feels right for you.
Recovering from a weight loss procedure may include many things. If you opt for a more invasive surgical procedure, your recovery process will include caring for incisions and having multiple follow-up appointments. Whichever procedure you receive, your recovery will include a strict diet as your stomach adjusts to its new change and shape. Typically this will be an all-liquid diet for the first 4 weeks of recovery, soft foods for the fifth and sixth week and regular foods being slowly reintroduced during the sixth and seventh weeks.
This time will be a very important transition for you.
Weight loss will be significant, relatively quick and you must adjust to your new eating limits. Recovery should be taken one day at a time. This is a lifestyle change, not just a surgical procedure. Surrounding yourself with supportive people and helpful resources will help you along this journey. For your best weight loss surgery, we encourage you to follow the diet regimen instructions and take advantage of the supportive resources we offer.
Receiving gastric surgery is an incredibly rewarding step towards an improved life. However, this is just one part of becoming healthy. We suggest you engage in activities that help you transition to a healthier lifestyle as soon as possible.
Whole Health Weight Loss Institute wants you to live a healthy, happy, long life.
We offer support groups for our bariatric patients. These groups will help you have a community that relates to you and is going through a similar change in life. These groups are helpful as you are going through the change after Bariatric Surgery. This will give you an opportunity to discuss your experience, the things you struggle with, and receive encouragement.
Whole Health Weight Loss Institute also offer nutrition services to patients recovering from obesity. A group meets several times per year to learn how to make healthy meals. This helps broaden our patient’s repertoire of recipes as well as teaches them how to make delicious healthy meals for themselves or the family.
You can learn how to make meals from a qualified chef while having fun with friends who are improving their life, just like you.
Meet Napa’s Top Weight Loss Surgery Experts
Your procedure will be performed by one of our top bariatric surgeons, Dr. Perryman, and Dr. Lee. Both have extensive experience and education in weight loss, nutrition and physiology and will help you achieve a healthy weight and lifestyle.
DR. SCOTT PERRYMAN
Dr. Scott Perryman has an in-depth knowledge of obesity and how it can affect a person’s life. He is a board-certified surgeon who prides himself on providing his patients with healthy solutions to their weight problems. He has been recognized as one of the best doctors in the Bay Area in 2018. His knowledge of nutrition, healthy living and mindfulness helps him provide his patients with not just a weight loss solution, but also a way to live a healthier, improved life.
DR. CRYSTINE LEE
Dr. Crystine Lee is a board-certified general surgeon who graduated from Stanford University. She has been performing bariatric surgeries for many years and enjoys helping her patients. Dr. Lee is passionate about her work and will strive to help transform your life. Dr. Lee performs surgeries with an eye for detail and attention to safety.
Both our doctors will provide a comfortable, safe environment for your procedure. Their goal is to help you become more conscious about the health choices you make every day. Bariatric surgery is just one step in that process. Overcoming obesity is a journey that begins with weight loss and continues throughout your life as conscious, healthy choices.
The Whole Health Weight Loss Institute empowers their patients by not only empowering them to take control of their weight with the health of bariatric surgeries, but also offers services to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.
To learn more about the details of each of the weight loss solutions offered at our institute, schedule a consultation to meet and discuss your options.
