MESSAGE FROM DR. WIJON W. BELTRE
Obesity Surgery has Come a Long Way!
Obesity surgery in Orlando Florida has gone through a lot of exciting changes in the last 10 years. These procedures are now all done using minimally invasive or laparoscopic techniques. This means that rather than using one large incision, we use modern technology to do the surgery through small (keyhole) incisions. This allows for less pain and quicker recovery. The average weight loss patient can now be discharged home in 24 to 48 hours following the surgery.
We’re now learning a lot more about these weight loss procedures and how they work. Obesity surgery, in particular the gastric sleeve and the Roux-Y gastric bypass, are now referred to as metabolic procedures. What is a metabolic procedure? These procedures cause profound changes in your metabolism causing your body to release powerful hormones. These hormones are normally found in your intestines and once released cause a number of metabolic changes in your body.
These metabolic changes include:
Hunger Control
There is a hunger hormone called Ghrelin that is made in the stomach. Ghrelin causes you to become hungry. The sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass decrease the production of Ghrelin causing a hormonally controlled decrease in appetite. In addition to appetite control, these hormonal changes also affect your cravings, making the weight loss process easier.
Increase in Metabolism
The reason why the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass are referred to as metabolic procedures is because they have a direct effect on your metabolism. The hormonal effects released by these procedures, cause your metabolism to dramatically increase making you lose weight very quickly. Following the gastric sleeve or the gastric bypass, the average person loses one pound per day the first month. This is then followed by an adjustment period and weight loss continues at 10 to 15 pounds per month thereafter. Weight loss will continue for the next year to a year and a half depending how much you need to lose. Weight loss will stop as your body approaches a healthier body weight.
Effectively Treats Obesity Related Illnesses
Morbid obesity is the cause of many metabolic diseases including, Type II diabetes. Procedures like the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass are able to treat many of the obesity related illnesses, sometimes within days of the surgery. For example, these metabolic procedures cause an increase in insulin, making Type II diabetes go away within days of the surgery! In fact, when I do a sleeve gastrectomy or a gastric bypass on a patient with Type II diabetes and send the patient home two days later, I tell my patients not to take their diabetic medications until they check their blood sugar. They may not need these medications any more by the time they get home from the hospital. That’s how quickly these procedures can stop Type II diabetes! In addition to diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, heart disease, fatty liver, infertility in females from polycystic ovarian disease, and arthritic joint pains resolve in a short period of time as a result of the rapid weight loss and metabolic changes.
I am very excited about the new opportunities I can give my patients to live long, healthier and happy lives and can’t wait to help you! Please give my practice a call so that my team can help you get started today. I look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your goal!
Sincerely,
Dr. Wiljon Beltre
Board Certified Bariatric Surgeon and Medical Director of the Center for Metabolic and Obesity Surgery
