People are likely to have loose skin after losing a significant amount of weight, whether they lose the weight with diet and exercise or if they lose it with bariatric surgery. It doesn’t matter whether someone loses the weight slowly or they lose it fast, the degree of loose skin is more dependent on HOW MUCH weight they lose in total. While there is some variation in the degree of loose skin a post bariatric surgery patient might have, almost all patients will have some degree of loose skin. For some patients (about 10%) the loose skin is visually unappealing to them and they will elect to have plastic surgery to remove the loose skin. Insurance companies will not generally pay for this type of plastic surgery as they consider it “cosmetic”.
It is recommended that every bariatric surgery patient, regardless of the procedure they had done, take supplemental vitamins and minerals after surgery as food intake is much less and that is where most individuals get their vitamins and minerals. This supplementation is especially important in gastric bypass and duodenal switch patients as they are more likely to develop significant vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to the changes in the intestinal anatomy. If a patient takes their vitamins and minerals as recommended it is unusual to see a severe deficiency. It is important that the bariatric surgery patient has blood work checked a minimum of every 6 months for the rest of their life to detect any vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Bariatric surgery has never been safer but there is definitely risk involved. Visit the “Risks of Surgery” page for more information.
There really is no way to answer this question; each of the bariatric operations can produce fantastic results and each one can have its problems. When you meet with your surgeon they will help you decide which procedure might be the best for YOU. Here is an article that also might help you choose the right procedure for you.
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