Gastric Bypass Surgery Offers Solutions to Health Problems Caused by Obesity

Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes:

According to studies conducted, it has been determined that 80% of individuals with type 2 diabetes have overweight. Type 2 diabetes brings many problems such as kidney failure, stroke, blindness, neuropathy, heart diseases, impotence, and depression. Increasing body mass index with excess weight causes insulin resistance in the body, and blood sugar control becomes difficult. Increased insulin resistance causes diabetes and diabetes treatment in obese people progresses much more difficult than in people with normal body mass index. After gastric bypass surgery, blood sugar control becomes easier in direct proportion to weight loss, and the doses and types of medication are reduced.

Treatment of High Blood Pressure:

According to the statistics obtained from Framingham Study, 70% of men and 60% of women with high blood pressure have obesity. To explain the link between obesity and high blood pressure in the simplest way: due to the increase in weight, the body causes an increase in cardiac output (blood flow rate) in order to meet metabolic needs. Cardiac output decreases in direct proportion to weight loss.

Severe Sleep Apnoea:

Sleep apnoea is the temporary stoppage of breathing as a result of the complete closure of the respiratory tract while breathing during sleep. As body weight increases, the amount of tissue around the respiratory tract and in the neck increases. This increased mass around the trachea surrounds the trachea and narrows its diameter. Depending on the amount of tissue, it causes increased tension in the muscles around the trachea. Extra fat on the abdomen and chest creates pressure and makes breathing difficult. As the constrictions and tensions decrease with weight loss, the respiratory tract will regain its normal function.

Reflux:

Increased intragastric pressure in overweight patients causes weakening of the lower oesophageal sphincter muscle and relaxation of the gastric valve. Another factor is the deterioration of the movement mechanism in the oesophagus. In addition, many problems such as burning and wheezing in the chest, filling of saliva in the mouth, and laryngitis can be seen in patients with reflux. In patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, the duration of recovery is determined according to the degree of deformation. If the sphincter muscle and/or valve is too deformed to heal spontaneously, it is possible to correct it during gastric bypass surgery.

Complications of pregnancy:

Obesity causes hormonal imbalance in the body and, as a result thereof, being pregnant becomes difficult. Hormonal disorders can cause menstrual irregularity and anovulation, a condition in which the ovaries fail to produce eggs. Since the quality of the eggs produced is low, it increases the risk of miscarriage. Insulin resistance arising due to obesity also causes a decrease in sperm quality in men.  Overweight women have a high risk of miscarriage as a result of unbalanced hormone stimulation in the early stages of pregnancy. Obesity lowers the level of adinopectin. Adinopectin increases the transfer of nutrients across the placenta and increases the placental uptake of insulin-stimulated amino acids and metabolites. Dysregulated adinopectin affects fetal growth and development. Deformed and weakened abdominal muscles in overweight women prevent adequate pushing during delivery. Obesity causes narrowing of the birth canals and increases possibility that the baby cannot enter the birth canal. 

It is possible to correct and control the complications encountered by obese people with permanent and effective weight loss. If necessary, support is provided with side interventions and medication. Other causes of obesity can be listed as follows:

• Coronary artery disease (the disease with the highest obesity-related mortality rate)
• Metabolic syndrome
• Difficulty in breathing
• Asthma
• Hyperlipidaemia
• Fatty liver disease
• Gallbladder problems
• Excessive hair growth
• Paralysis
• Dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system, arthritis
• Increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer in women
• Increased risk of colorectal and prostate cancer in men
• Mental impairment and temporal dissonance