Do I qualify for Surgery??

Question
I'm a 26 yr old female 5"3" 230lbs. I'm contemplating surgery but I don't know if it would be right for me. I'm having no luck with loosing weight on my own. I currently have no health issues that I'm aware of but I haven't had any energy at all for going on 5yrs since I had my daughter. If I do qualify what surgery would you recommend for the most weight loss and least side effects? I also want to add that after I had my child 5 yrs ago I had got the birthcontrol Mirena inserted. After I gave birth I was 190lbs and now I'm 230lbs. Do you think its only the birthcontrol or I have another issue going on?? Your advice will be gladly appreciated.

Answer
Tiffany,
The height and weight you have provided put you at a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40.7.  This means that from a numerical standpoint you do clearly qualify for a bariatric surgical intervention.

Before it is established that you "should" have surgery, it is necessary to be sure about the following:
-you have done all that is practically reasonable to lose weight without surgery
-you really understand surgery: how it works, the risks, and what you need to do in order to get the most out of it
-you are mentally and emotionally ready to make substantial changes in your lifestyle in order to be fully successful with surgery

I will give you a general breakdown of the commonly available surgical procedures, but as part of your decision process the best thing is to get involved with a bariatric program that is in your area.  They can help with the decision process, and will be more able to point out specific factors that matter in your case.  You can find a Center of Excellence for bariatric surgery on the web at:
http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate.aspx

There are 3 commonly performed surgical procedures, all done laparoscopically:
1) Adjustable Gastric Band (Lap-Band) - least complex and least intense, but also least weight loss on average and least lifetime durability
2) Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy - in between the Band and the Gastric Bypass in most respects, with very good weight loss that appears to be sustainable, and simplicity in comparison to gastric bypass and Band
3) Roux-en-Y Gastric bypass - the most complex of the common operations, also the most likely to provide sustained lifetime weight loss and health improvement

You can use the medical terms above to do a Google search and learn more about each, but again I recommend for you to meet an experienced bariatric surgeon.  It will not be a waste of your time.

Best wishes,
Dr JP

1. Prev:absence of throid and gastric bypass surgery approval
2. Next:5 day pouch test