Maintaining a healthy weight is the key to a happy life. When you are overweight, your body becomes susceptible to various unwanted diseases, some of which can take a toll on your life. Doctors always suggest their patients maintain a healthy weight by adopting an active lifestyle. It can be done by eating a balanced diet, staying fit through workouts, walking, yoga, or other physical activities, and staying consistent in your journey. However, it becomes impossible for some people to lose weight only by adopting a healthy lifestyle. In this case, they opt for surgical or non-surgical methods to transform their body.
So, what are surgical and non-surgical methods to lose weight, and which is the best? Here’s everything in detail.
Surgical Weight Loss
As the name suggests, surgical weight loss involves an aggressive approach to managing your weight. Often recommended to people with severe obesity or those who have struggled to lose weight through non-surgical means, surgical weight loss intends to help you lose weight through different kinds of surgeries.
The role of these procedures is to physically alter the digestive system so that the food intake is restricted. As a result, you begin to lose weight. Depending on your overall body weight and other health conditions, your doctor may suggest one of the following surgeries.
Gastric Sleeve
Also known as sleeve gastrectomy, this bariatric surgery decreases your hunger signals to the brain. The surgeon uses a laparoscope and removes up to 60% of the stomach. As a result, you start feeling full after eating a small meal.
Gastric Bypass
In this surgical method, the surgeon divides your stomach by creating a small pouch that can hold small meals. Afterward, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch, creates a bypass for the food, and skips the digestive system. Consequently, you don’t eat much like you used to.
Gastric Band
Also known as a LAP band, the surgeon makes small incisions in the abdomen and laces a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band around the upper portion to limit the amount of food you eat.
Liposuction
Although a minimally invasive procedure, liposuction still qualifies as a surgery used to lose excessive weight from the body. The best bariatric surgeon uses a device that helps suck the fat out of your body. They mark the areas where the procedure is to be done and create small incisions to use the device.
Non-Surgical Weight Loss
Non-surgical weight loss is a less invasive method that helps manage weight by shedding extra kilos off your body. These procedures assist individuals in attaining their weight loss goals without surgery. Several procedures are combined with lifestyle changes, dietary guidance, and medication to get the desired results. They are an excellent choice for someone who doesn’t want to go under the knife but lose weight.
Compared to surgical weight loss methods, these procedures do not pose a risk to your overall weight. Your doctor may perform any of the following methods.
Intragastric Balloon
A saline balloon is filled and placed endoscopically into your stomach, limiting the food you eat.
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty
Also known as the accordion procedure, this method minimizes the size of your stomach without needing to surgically operate it. The doctor places multiple sutures in your stomach that change its structure. As a result, this procedure restricts the quantity of food you eat and makes you feel full faster than before.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is a procedure of using extreme cold to pull fat cells from your body. These are the cells that are later naturally destroyed by the liver. CoolSculpting is not a weight-loss treatment, but a body contouring technique to target specific areas of your body having extra bulges or fat deposits. The doctor/cosmetologist uses a device that releases cold temperatures and presses it against the targeted fat cells. Although you may feel mild pinching, the sensation goes off after the procedure.
Surgical or Non-Surgical Weight Loss Methods – Which One is Better?
Non-surgical methods have a higher success rate of 90% with 20-30% fat cell removal. On the other hand, the success rate for surgical methods is 77%. Compared to the former, these methods have potential risks. They can cost you a fortune and require an extended hospital stay. But if your fat is too stubborn to be treated with non-surgical methods, surgery acts as a last resort.
As all these treatment options suit a specific need, what works well for one might not show the same results for the other. It is, therefore, advised to seek professional help and make the best decision after discussing it with them.