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Bariatric surgery can and will change your life. While you’re going through the process of bariatric surgery, you may be worried it won’t work for you. After all, you’ve tried everything else and haven’t been able to sustain weight loss. However, most bariatric surgery patients can maintain their weight loss and also have significant health and quality of life improvements. When it comes down to it, your willingness to change and stick to the lifestyle changes will ultimately determine how successful you are. Your bariatric surgery success rate is dependent on how well you use your tool.
How Often Does Bariatric Surgery Fail?
To determine bariatric surgery success rates, we need to define bariatric surgery failure. Traditionally, it was considered that bariatric surgery was a failure if the patient failed to lose and maintain at least 50 percent of his or her excess weight. But how do we determine excess weight? You could do current weight minus ideal weight equals excess weight. However, many bariatric patients aren’t necessarily looking to be the next Miss America, and simply want to feel comfortable in their bodies.
So perhaps, excess weight can be determined by current weight minus the patient’s goal weight. However, I’d still argue that even if a patient never reaches their goal weight – whether the goal was too steep or their bodies just stopped losing at some point – that it doesn’t necessarily mean that surgery was a failure. We should at least take into account the health and quality of life improvements. Regardless of the number on the scale, bariatric surgery can be a success just on those factors alone. MD Edge goes into further detail on this topic.
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Weight Regain
Some patients feel their surgery is a failure if they regain any weight. However, some weight regain is normal. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery states that about 50 percent of patients regain a small amount of weight (about five percent) when they reach two years or later post-op. Additionally, studies find that most patients maintain successful weight loss.
If you are worried about the bariatric surgery success rate simply because you are afraid that you’ll be the exception, don’t be! Small regains are possible, perhaps even probable, but that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Overall, your health and quality of life will improve so much, that sometimes the number on the scale is just the bonus.
Bariatric Surgery Success
When you’re wondering if bariatric surgery will be successful for you, and you want to ensure your success, you have to remember one thing. It all comes down to you. It’s not your surgeon, it’s not which surgery you picked, it’s not which protein shake you drink that will determine your success. Only you can determine your success. As you lead up to surgery, you should start changing your habits to get used to life post-op. You should be adding more protein to your meals, drinking more water and exercising more.
RELATED CONTENT: Want to learn the 10 changes you need to make in your life to be successful with bariatric surgery? Get our free download here!
Think of your surgery as a tool, like a hammer. A hammer doesn’t do the carpenter any good just sitting on the table. He or she has to pick up the hammer, aim it at something and start pounding. Your surgery is the same way. You have to use your tool properly, by ensuring you’re meeting your protein goals, avoiding slider foods (i.e. the foods that made you obese in the first place), taking your vitamins and maintaining your mental health. Use your tool properly, and you can do amazing things. Make excuses and lax on the rules, and your bariatric surgery success rate is going to drop.
Health Improvements
One way to measure your bariatric surgery success rate is the improvement in your health. If we look at the numbers alone, you can see that bariatric surgery can be considered a success just from the health improvements patients experience. The National Institute of Health has a great article about whether bariatric surgery is a quick or long-term fix for obesity. In it, they have a table that summarizes some of the health improvements for different surgeries. See below for a comparison:
| Gastric Band | Gastric Sleeve | RNY Gastric Bypass | Duodenal Switch | |
| Mortality Rate | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Excess Weight Loss | 47% | 47% | 62% | 70% |
| Diabetes Resolved | 47% | 66% | 83% | 99% |
| Hypertension Resolved | 43% | No Data | 67% | 83% |
| Cholesterol Improved | 78% | No Data | 95% | 87% |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea Resolved | 95% | No Data* | 80% | 92% |
| Long Term Failure** | >50% | 30% | 15% | <5% |
**Long-Term Failure in this study was defined as losing less than 50 percent of their excess weight
These Results Make Surgery Worth It
As you can see from this chart, there is a fairly low mortality rate for all four surgeries, and the long-term failure rate is relatively low. I also surmised that the failure rate for the gastric band is significantly higher because many people don’t achieve the long-term weight loss they hope for and do a revision to a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass.
Look at the resolution for the four health conditions. A 99 percent resolution for diabetes in duodenal switch patients is phenomenal. Some type-II diabetics have been getting surgery just for the improvements to their insulin resistance. I was pre-diabetic before my surgery with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea. All of these health conditions are improved since I had my surgery and lost weight. And the amazing thing is that sometimes these health conditions resolve quickly, even before significant weight is dropped. Researchers aren’t yet sure why, but they are looking further into it.
Quality of Life Improvements
Beyond the health improvements, the bariatric surgery success rate can also be measured in quality of life improvements. Think for a moment on these situations:
- Going to a restaurant and sitting comfortably in a booth
- Shopping for clothing in the “normal” size section
- Riding roller coasters
- Chasing after your kids
- Running 5ks
- Fitting in the auditorium seats
- Not feeling like the biggest person in the room
- No longer having people judge you
Are you smiling yet? These are bariatric surgery benefits beyond the scale and health benefits. Your quality of life improves so much. Your life no longer revolves around food, and it can be so freeing. Additionally, things that can’t be measured like confidence, self-worth, self-love and dignity, also improve. Bariatric surgery changes your life, and it can be one of the best things you ever do for yourself.
Tips to Ensure Your Success
Because your bariatric surgery success rate is dependent on how well you use your tool, I think it’s beneficial to sit down before you have bariatric surgery and think about how you are going to implement these changes in your life for the long-term. Throughout what I’ve learned in my journey and seeing other people’s journeys, I think these six tips will help you feel like a success, no matter what the number on the scale reflects.
1. Define Success For You
First, beyond the number on the scale, write down some victories that will indicate that you have found success with bariatric surgery. Perhaps it’s fitting into smaller clothes or being able to FINALLY ride that new rollercoaster at the local amusement park. Maybe your success is being able to go to dinner and a movie with your significant other and fitting comfortably in the booths and theater seats. Maybe it’s finally breaking free from the stronghold food has on you. Take a few minutes and write down your version of success.
2. Seek Help
Next, one thing with bariatric surgery is that your hormones kind of go haywire. As you burn fat cells, they release hormones into your body, which can kind of make you feel like you are on a rollercoaster of emotions. I know that most programs require a psychological evaluation, however, I do think it’s beneficial to continue therapy after surgery. It helps you work through some issues that may arise, and because you’re losing an old comfort (food), it can be helpful to have someone to talk about the changes you’re experiencing. Also, continue to go to bariatric support groups or be active on ones on Facebook. They can also help you when you’re struggling.
3. Keep Your Post-Op Appointments
Thirdly, it’s tempting to skip your post-op appointments. If you are doing well, you may think there’s no point in seeing your surgeon again. If you aren’t doing well, you may be embarrassed to face your surgeon or nutritionist. In either case, don’t be. Seeing your surgeon even if you’re doing well will help motivate you, feel good about your progress, and set goals for yourself. If you’re struggling, your surgeon and/or nutritionist can give you tips to help you start losing again. The most successful bariatric patients keep all of their post-op appointments.
4. Watch Your Portions
Next, as your progress after surgery, you’ll go through a strict dieting phase to reintroduce your stomach to foods. At first, you’ll be able to eat very little. As time goes by, you’ll slowly start to be able to eat more. I think the danger zone comes in when you get comfortable with the amount of food you can eat, and you may start to ignore your feelings of fullness. So you start to eat more. Making sure you always remember to measure your portions will help ensure you don’t eat too much and end up gaining weight.
5. Exercise Regularly
Also, I know that exercising isn’t something a lot of people enjoy. When you’re obese, exercising can hurt, especially your knees and back. As you lose weight, the discomfort eases. You’ll be able to walk further, faster, and longer. You may even try running. It’s important to remember to exercise most days of the week to keep your body strong and healthy. Plus, it helps with your body image and makes you feel good. Do whatever it is you enjoy, and stick with it.
6. Eat Protein
Finally, you can ensure your bariatric surgery success rate by eating protein. Remember that protein is king, and it’s super important for your body to function properly. Make sure you are hitting your protein goals each day by eating your protein first at every meal. Continue to supplement with a protein shake daily. The most successful bariatric patients continually drink protein shakes, at least one per day. This helps with energy, hair regrowth, and metabolism.
You Determine Your Bariatric Surgery Success Rate
Statistics are on your side. They show that most bariatric surgery patients find long-term weight loss success. Ultimately, the success of your surgery depends on you. Determine early in your journey what success looks like beyond a number on the scale. Evaluate the health and quality of life improvements you’re experiencing. Even if you don’t hit your magic, ideal weight number, you can still measure success in different ways. Your bariatric surgery success rate is dependent on how well you use your tool.
If this article gave you some great ideas to incorporate into your life, just imagine what other amazing strategies I have for you! Share this post on social media by clicking one of the sharing buttons, and don’t forget to join my email list! You’ll be the first to get updates, access to my new products and lots of tips, inspiration and motivation to help in your bariatric surgery journey. Just for joining, I’ll send you a free Bariatric Beginner’s Guide to get you started, as well as some other pretty awesome goodies to keep you motivated. Join today!
In Summary
Yes, statistics from the National Institute of Health show that the long-term failure rate (defined as losing less than 50 percent of your excess weight) is only 15 percent for gastric bypass. Additionally, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery states that most patients maintain successful weight loss. Weight loss surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and is shown to help other health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnea.
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