Bariatric Surgery Vs. Liposuction
If you are struggling with your weight or are not satisfied with the amount of body fat, you may be looking for ways to change it. Diet and exercise can help you reach your goals, but what if you have failed and want quicker and more effective results?
Thanks to medical advances, you have other options for a healthier and leaner body that you desire. Two of the most popular options are bariatric surgery and liposuction.
When you have decided to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, you have taken the first step towards restoring your well-being. Stopping the obesity cycle can significantly reduce your risk of developing many life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease and high cholesterol. However, choosing the best weight loss treatment for your body can be confusing and scary.
Dr Venu Gopal Pareek wants to help you fully understand your condition and limitations so that you can make the right decisions that will lead to sustainable weight management decisions. Patients regularly ask our team to explain the difference between bariatric surgery and liposuction. However, they are very different in their approach to weight loss and generally have different effects.
Liposuction focuses on temporary inch loss, while bariatric surgery changes how the body reacts to the environment and food intake. Therefore, bariatric surgery can stimulate weight loss, which includes not only aesthetic transformation but also reduces various health risks associated with obesity. This is a complete lifestyle change.
Here’s a brief overview of each of these procedures and how Bariatric Surgery differs from liposuction.
Liposuction vs Bariatric Surgery – Which Is Best?
Some people suffer from obesity, a disease in which large amounts of fat accumulate in the body. Although most doctors recommend diet and exercise first, most patients who are overweight do not follow the advice. If the desired weight loss is not achieved by any method, a surgical approach helps the patient get rid of obesity. Let’s briefly understand these two procedures namely liposuction and bariatric surgery in India.
What exactly is liposuction?
During liposuction, fat deposits are removed by a plastic surgeon using an instrument such as a vacuum or ultrasound probe. The Food and Drug Administration describes liposuction as “a body shaping technique that is not recommended for medical weight loss.”
Typically, patients who continue to struggle with being overweight do not benefit from permanent liposuction as the factors contributing to weight gain remain as strong after the procedure as before.
What is Bariatric Surgery?
Unlike liposuction, the primary purpose of bariatric surgery is not to make temporary aesthetic changes, but to change the way the body reacts to certain factors that cause obesity. Bariatric procedures complement lifestyle changes to enable obese men and women to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
For patients battling obesity, bariatric surgery is usually a more viable option than liposuction. By interfering with the processes that cause obesity, bariatric surgery can significantly reduce the likelihood of weight-related problems. It can also limit the chances of gaining any excess weight immediately after the post-procedure.
Liposuction vs Bariatric Surgery
Liposuction is a purely “cosmetic” procedure. This is an invasive cosmetic surgery performed under local or general anaesthesia, that removes fat and tries to change the shape of the body. It focuses on fats that are resistant to exercise and diet. Several thin tubes called cannulas are inserted into the body. Fat cells are first removed and then sucked out. Liposuction can be performed on various areas of fat such as the waist, stomach, thighs, buttocks, hips, neck, chin and cheeks. However, it is not aimed at total weight, cellulite, and sagging skin.
Yes, liposuction results are visible immediately after surgery as less fat is visible at the disposal area. Liposuction is a safe and easy procedure that can instantly contour the body in the desired area. However, it is the wrong choice for people who want or need weight loss.
This procedure is only and should only be performed for body sculpting purposes. People who have excess fat, incredibly stubborn fat, in one or two areas of the body may undergo liposuction. However, a person undergoing liposuction should not expect much weight loss.
This is a short procedure that results in weight loss in a short time, for example, up to several months. After that, fat accumulation begins again, and the body stretches back to its original shape. It does not solve obesity or obesity-related problems.
Bariatric surgery:
Bariatric surgery is a set of techniques that can help a person lose weight entirely and permanently and solve all weight problems.
Bariatric surgery causes the person’s body to gradually use up all the stored body fat, thereby causing a great deal of physiological, gradual and controlled weight loss. Bariatric surgery also helps reduce many weight-related diseases as well as effective weight loss such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint arthritis, sleep apnea, PCOS, several types of cancer, and many more.
While bariatric surgery is a type of gastrointestinal surgery that is performed to reduce weight and weight-related comorbidities, liposuction is a cosmetic surgery designed to shape and shape the body. This surgical approach minimizes a person’s overall weight by changing several factors in the digestive system. This surgery for obesity is performed in several ways, such as:
- Sleeve gastrectomy: Reducing the stomach to 15% of its original size results in less storage to accommodate and less hunger-inducing hormones.
- Small intestine adjustment: This is done by adjusting the small intestine so that it absorbs fewer calories and nutrients.
- Introducing vBlocks: They are surgically implanted under the skin to stop hunger from reaching the brain. That way, most people feel full.
- Balloon: One or two balloons are inserted into the stomach and then inflated so that a large part of the stomach builds up and becomes impossible to eat. This is a temporary method, and the balloon is usually removed after six months.
The benefits of bariatric surgery include:
- Significant Weight Loss: Although liposuction removes some fat, bariatric surgery teaches your body to burn itself and protect against obesity.
- Health Improvement: Obesity bariatric surgery can reduce the risk of developing weight-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and spinal complications. For men and women who already have one or more of these problems, bariatric surgery can reduce the severity of the disease or eventually eliminate them.
- Mental stability: Bariatric surgery can reduce the prevalence and effects of depression, anxiety, and extreme fatigue.
- Better quality of life: Through bariatric surgery, patients can regain their lives lost due to being overweight. Often, men and women go back to activities they can’t do any more or try new things that have always been in the way, such as hiking, cycling, coaching children’s sports teams, or even long trips.
Conclusion:
Liposuction is a short-term “regimen” for weight loss. In contrast, bariatric surgery is a long-term “solution” to obesity and other obesity-related problems such as sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. Most patients are discharged within a few days and allowed to resume a normal lifestyle for several weeks. The laparoscopic approach makes it a hassle-free procedure. Combined with medical experience and a technological approach, bariatric surgery helps obese patients continue a healthy lifestyle.
We hope that you better understand the differences between the two methods. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 091777 77715. If you are considering bariatric surgery and have additional questions about the benefits over cosmetic procedures such as liposuction, call Dr Venu Gopal Pareek’s team of weight-loss experts at 091777 77715. We want to help you achieve your health and weight goals safely and sustainably so that you can fully extend the life of your loved one!
About Dr Venugopal Pareek – Bariatirc Surgeon
Dr Venugopal Pareek, a Consultant Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgeon in Sunshine Hospitals has done more than 9000 surgeries in 12 years. He is one of the best bariatric surgeons in Hyderabad, an expert in performing various Bariatric surgical procedures like gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. He has attended several conferences and published articles on bariatric surgery in various national and international journals.
