Surgical Treatments
Methods frequently used in obesity treatment can be listed as diet and lifestyle changes, behavioral therapies, medical treatments and surgical methods. In the treatment of obesity, a complex disease and hard to treat, combining these methods in various ways and continuing the treatment with determination is the main indicative of success. Patient needs to be ready and demonstrate his will for continuing treatment. It is a good start to receive help from a specialist to be able to determine and accept the problem. It is necessary to determine realistic goals in the treatment and to evaluate all treatment options, including surgical treatments when needed. It should not be forgotten that obesity is like chains that captures the individual and lowers the quality of life. It is necessary to proceed with perseverance and determination in order to break this chain.
Obesity Treatment Stages;
Nutrition Therapy
The first step in the treatment should be changing feeding habits in a healthy way. Balanced and nutritional plans should be created by nutritionists by considering the age, gender and habits of the individual. Compelling and unsustainable diet programs should not be created. It should not be forgotten that no unsustainable method can achieve permanent success. Nutrition education is also quite important in the post-obesity surgery period. A specialist dietitian should guide the patient so that the patient can maintain a healthy diet starting from zero after the surgery. The most common reason for gaining weight again after bariatric surgery and especially sleeve gastrectomy is the lack of patient follow-up and leaving alone the patients.
Exercise Therapy
Exercise therapy should be applied in addition to nutrition therapy. The purpose of exercise programs is not only to lose weight, but also to maintain the muscle mass in the body and to maintain the continuity of the weight loss process. Acquiring exercise habit is a must for the long term success of bariatric surgery. Sustainable and variable exercises that will not cause any injury and are suitable for the patient and their current weight should be added to the program gradually. Rate of maintaining the weight by people who exercise regularly is considerably higher than those who do not.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavior modification therapies play an important role in changing the eating habits of people, especially after bariatric surgery. The mood that leads people to binge eating behavior and how to fight against them should be evaluated by a specialist, and in such cases, the patient should be educated on how to find a way for solution. In behavioral therapies, the treatment can also be planned as drug therapy, by obtaining the opinion of a specialist psychiatrist when necessary. Those who failed after sleeve gastrectomy surgery are generally those who do not stick to the treatment programs and are unsupported.
Drug Therapy
In the treatment of obesity with drugs, diseases that may cause obesity should be analyzed first. Especially diseases and endocrine disorders affecting thyroid functions should be analyzed by a specialist and medical treatment should be started when necessary. Especially in metabolic syndrome caused by obesity, it becomes quite difficult to lose weight. A multidisciplinary approach including nutritionists, behavioral therapists and specialist physicians in the treatment of obesity maximizes the chance of success.
Surgical Treatment
More serious steps may be required in the treatment stages with the increase in weight to be lost. Today, the most efficient treatment of obesity is surgical applications. Endoscopic methods such as gastric balloon and gastric injection are also applied in obesity treatment other than surgical treatment. Treatment success is quite low compared to surgical treatments. Obesity surgeries such as sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass, duodenal switch, bipartition and sadi-s are more permanent surgical treatment methods with higher success rates. Today, among these types of surgery, sleeve gastrectomy is the most frequently applied surgical treatment option all over the world.
