Bariatrics Obesity

Excess weight is one of the major health problems of our time.

We talk about overweight or obesity when there is an excess of body fat that diminishes our health.

When we talk about overweight or obesity, we must be aware that it exponentially increases the possibility of suffering from any type of non-communicable disease, deteriorating both people’s health and quality of life.

According to the definition provided by the WHO: Overweight and obesity are defined as “an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that poses a risk to health”.

For any excess weight, the first recommendation is to increase physical activity and improve diet, but in many cases and for various reasons, it is not enough or it is not possible.

Ireland has one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe, with 60% of adults and more than one in five children and young people overweight and obese. Multiple factors influence obesity, including genetics, environment, habits and socio-economic factors.

There are several methods that will assist in the loss of excess weight by modifying the anatomy of the digestive system. They are very effective methods used when all other attempts at weight loss have failed.

Not everyone can modify their digestive anatomy.

Firstly, we use the BMI to assess the amount of weight each patient should lose.  It is a formula that relates a person’s weight to their height, and will give us data on how much weight they are overweight, and how much weight they should lose.

There will also be an assessment made by our specialists to know if the patient is suitable or not for surgery, and the type of surgery most recommended for their case.

In general, stomach surgeries for weight loss could be a suitable option for you in the following cases:

– Your body mass index is 40 or more (extreme obesity).

– Your body mass index is 35 to 39.9 (obese), and you have a serious weight-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or severe sleep apnoea. In some cases, you may qualify for certain types of weight loss surgery if your body mass index is 30-34 and you have a serious weight-related health problem.

Gastric Sleeve

Gastric sleeve or stomach reduction is a procedure that consists of removing an important part of the stomach.

It is performed laparoscopically, working from small incisions made from the abdomen, to make the surgery as minimally invasive as possible.

Sutures are made in the stomach maintaining 20-30% of its volume, and the excess stomach is cut and removed. The result is a modified stomach that has a tubular shape, so food intake will be much lower, and will lead to a large weight loss.

The purpose of this surgery is that the patient will eventually be able to eat everything, but in reduced quantities due to the small stomach capacity.

In order to achieve a good healing of the stomach, a good weight loss, and a substantial improvement in their health, the patient must follow certain nutritional guidelines for a minimum of 2-3 months, and make some changes in their diet in the long term.

The operation is carried out in one of our hospitals in Benidorm, and the recovery will take place in one of our sunny flats, with the help you need during this time.

Gastric Bypass

The gastric bypass method involves connecting the uppermost part of the stomach (forming a small pouch) directly to the small intestine. After the gastric bypass, the ingested food will enter this small pouch in the stomach and then directly into the small intestine, bypassing most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine.

A very significant reduction in food intake and digestive capacity is achieved, reducing caloric absorption.

To achieve a good healing of the stomach, a good weight loss, and a substantial improvement in health, the patient must follow certain nutritional guidelines for a minimum of 2-3 months, and make some changes in their diet in the long term.

The operation is carried out in one of our hospitals in Benidorm, and the recovery will take place in one of our sunny flats, with the help you need during this time.