Are you living with polycystic ovarian syndrome and struggling to get pregnant? You’re not alone, and our team at Beltre Bariatrics is here to help.
We offer weight loss surgery options tailored to your needs and fertility goals.
Explore how weight loss surgery can alleviate PCOS symptoms and improve overall health. Contact us today to learn more and take the first step toward a healthier you.
What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder frequently linked to obesity and often the underlying cause of fertility problems for women.
PCOS causes the growth of an abnormal number of follicles (often called “cysts”) along the outer edge of enlarged ovaries. It is believed to be caused when the ovaries produce excess amounts of male hormones known as androgens.
Numerous factors are thought to trigger this improper hormone production. Still, researchers now believe that one of the primary causes of PCOS is the production of excess insulin, which leads to insulin resistance and inhibits the body from using insulin effectively.
Excess insulin in the body can drive an increase in abnormal hormone production and increased body weight.
Symptoms
Symptoms of PCOS can vary widely and may include:
- Irregular periods.
- Excess hair growth.
- Acne.
- Weight gain.
- Thinning scalp hair.
Early diagnosis and comprehensive management strategies, including lifestyle modifications, medication, and fertility treatments, can help individuals with PCOS manage symptoms and improve reproductive health.
The Tie Between PCOS and Obesity
For a long time, the connection between obesity and PCOS puzzled researchers. Initially, it was believed that obesity directly caused PCOS. However, recent studies have revealed that the relationship between obesity and PCOS is more complex than previously thought.
In some cases, PCOS is just one aspect of a more significant health issue known as metabolic syndrome, which is linked to obesity. Obesity affects the body’s ability to produce and utilize insulin. Conversely, PCOS can also contribute to obesity by hindering weight loss efforts.
Yet, for many women, PCOS may be the underlying cause of their obesity. By disrupting the body’s standard insulin-processing mechanisms, PCOS can lead to significant weight gain and hinder weight loss efforts. Thus, addressing PCOS involves more than just losing weight; it requires restoring proper insulin processing and hormonal balance to enable effective weight loss and reverse infertility.
Understanding this complex relationship allows for targeted interventions. By addressing obesity through lifestyle changes, medications, or bariatric surgery, individuals can not only shed excess weight but also improve hormonal balance and reproductive health, ultimately improving their overall well-being.
Here’s the good news: Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of many conditions treated by weight loss, with even a modest amount of weight loss improving hormonal imbalances and symptoms like irregular periods.
Weight Loss Surgery and PCOS
Metabolic surgery, once seen solely as a means for rapid weight loss, has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing the underlying causes of PCOS. This surgery goes beyond weight reduction, fundamentally altering the body’s metabolism to correct hormonal imbalances. As a result, many women with PCOS who undergo metabolic surgery find themselves able to conceive without further infertility interventions.
If you’re struggling with severe obesity and infertility due to PCOS, metabolic surgery offers a life-changing solution. Dr. Wiljon Beltre and his compassionate team understand the emotional toll of infertility and the strain it can place on relationships and family life. As a board-certified, fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon, Dr. Beltre provides advanced surgical options to break the link between obesity and PCOS.
For many individuals diagnosed with PCOS-related infertility, metabolic surgery offers a safe and effective means to correct hormonal and metabolic imbalances, achieve significant weight loss, and overcome the limitations of infertility.
In the past, PCOS was treated as a reproductive disorder, and rather than addressing the underlying endocrine imbalance, women were encouraged to treat their infertility with traditional fertility treatments that focused on regulating ovulation and forcing conception.
Many medical practitioners now recognize that the side effect of PCOS—infertility—will be more effectively reduced if the root cause of PCOS is addressed.
PCOS is best treated by decreasing insulin levels and reducing the amount of androgens the ovaries produce. Even modest weight loss of 5-7% of body weight can help. Unfortunately, the existence of PCOS may inhibit effective weight loss through diet and exercise alone.
Weight loss surgery provides a safe and highly effective solution for PCOS and infertility. Procedures like gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy alter food processing and hormone production, resetting metabolic balance to regulate insulin and induce substantial weight loss, effectively countering PCOS.
While metabolic surgery offers complete restoration of fertility for many women, women must wait 12 to 18 months after surgery before getting pregnant to allow weight loss to stabilize and ensure proper nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy.
Transform Your Health with Bariatric Surgery in Florida
At Beltre Bariatrics, we specialize in bariatric surgery in Orlando to address obesity-related health concerns, including PCOS.
Led by Dr. Wiljon Beltre, our expert team offers safe and effective procedures tailored to help you achieve lasting weight loss and improve your overall well-being. If you’re ready to explore how weight loss surgery can resolve PCOS and other health issues, contact us today for a free consultation. Let us help you start your journey to a healthier life.
DISCLAIMER: Metabolic surgery involves a lifetime commitment to significant lifestyle changes, and is not for everyone. Individual results differ depending on each patient’s medical history and willingness and ability to adhere to the weight loss program specified by Dr. Beltre. As with all surgical procedures, all forms of metabolic surgery carry the risk of complications and side effects; additional details about potential complications, side effects, and other risks will be provided to you by Dr. Beltre during your pre-surgical consultations.
The doctors at Beltre Bariatrics Center for Metabolic & Obesity Surgery have reviewed and approved this content.
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