Though not everyone is a great candidate for bariatric surgery, your visit to this page indicates you, or someone you care about, may be.
Before considering a visit to Houston weight loss surgeon Dr. Brian Mirza, let’s start with the basics:
What is bariatric surgery?
In its simplest terms, bariatric surgery is an operation on the stomach area, which includes procedures intended to make the stomach smaller.
Who should consider bariatric surgery?
Many bariatric surgeries are minimally invasive. Just because a person is obese, however, does not mean they should consider weight loss surgery. According to the National Institutes of Health, only those persons experiencing severe obesity—which means a
Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or higher—should be considered for weight loss surgery. (An average BMI would be around 19 to 25). Severely obese persons usually cannot fight the disease with exercise and diet alone. They have attempted a variety of weight loss approaches short of surgery, but they have not experienced long-term success. This makes them more likely to be ideal weight loss surgery candidates.
Types of surgery
Houston weight loss surgeon Brian Mirza specializes in weight loss surgical procedures, including gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding.
Gastric bypass is called that because, after surgery, food bypasses part of the stomach where it used to go. The stomach and small intestine no longer absorb food as they once did, which results in the body absorbing fewer calories.
A sleeve gastrectomy makes the stomach much slimmer so that it is more the shape of a shirtsleeve. Because the stomach is dramatically smaller, patients who have gone through the procedure satisfy their hunger cravings much sooner than before surgery.
Gastric banding, also known as Lap Band, involves the minimally invasive process of placing an inflatable band around the top part of the stomach. This results in a person feeling satisfied much sooner when eating.
A highly-regarded Houston weight loss surgeon, Brian Mirza is a Fellow with the American College of Surgeons. To earn this distinction, he passed a rigorous evaluation focused on his surgical capabilities and ethics. Dr. Mirza tells all patients that opting for weight loss surgery is significant, and it means significant changes in lifestyle afterwards. Follow-up care is just as important, if not more so, than the surgery itself. Dr. Mirza and his staff help patients develop and follow a plan that will help keep weight off and support a longer, healthier lifestyle.
If you would like to further explore the possibility of weight loss surgery, including whether you or someone you know is a strong candidate, please contact Bariatric Care Centers to learn more.
