Stomach reduction is a surgical procedure used to treat morbid obesity. It involves reducing the size of the stomach in various ways so that the patient eats significantly less food and loses weight as a result. In some circumstances, such surgery may be covered by public health insurance.
What is a stomach reduction?
Schematic diagram showing the anatomy involved in a stomach reduction. Click to enlarge. Under the term stomach reduction, experts understand a surgical procedure in which the volume of the human stomach is decisively reduced. After the operation, only the intake of very small amounts of food is possible. Stomach reduction is performed when a patient suffers from obesity (morbid obesity) and his health is severely endangered as a result. There are three different methods of stomach reduction to choose from, which can be used depending on the patient’s condition in each individual case. If other forms of treatment show no success and the weight remains permanently at critical levels, a stomach reduction can also take place at the expense of the statutory health insurance. For this, however, it must be checked in advance whether all other therapies have actually been tried and remained unsuccessful.
Function, effect and goals
Stomach reduction may be the last resort for patients suffering from morbid obesity (adiposity) to control their weight and thus prolong their lives. If all other treatment methods have failed and the health and life of the patient are acutely endangered by the excess weight and the resulting secondary diseases, doctors and health insurance companies will jointly advocate stomach reduction. In this procedure, the existing stomach is permanently or temporarily reduced in size using various techniques so that food intake is only possible to a very limited extent. Often the food must also be consumed pureed. As a result, the weight of the affected person is almost inevitably reduced. Three methods are available to perform a stomach reduction. The insertion of a gastric balloon is not an operation in the true sense of the word, since no incision is made. Instead, a balloon is inserted into the stomach through the esophagus and then filled with salt water, leaving little room for food. This is the gentlest way to reduce the size of the stomach. Alternatively, a gastric band or a so-called gastric bypass can be used. In the former method, the stomach is tied off with a silicone band and thus reduced to a fraction of its size. The band can be readjusted later if circumstances require. A gastric bypass, on the other hand, is permanent: here, a so-called “artificial stomach” is modeled, which is quite a bit smaller than the patient’s actual stomach. Part of the small intestine takes over the digestive functions. Gastric bypass is a rather complicated surgical procedure that can take up to seven hours and is a not inconsiderable strain on the patient’s organism. The method of gastric reduction used depends, among other things, on the health condition of the patient.
Risks, side effects and dangers
Along with gastric reduction, gastric banding is one of the options for bariatric surgery. When conservative weight loss methods have failed, it is usually the last resort. Click to enlarge. In addition to the basic risks that surgery can pose, complications can arise especially with gastric banding or gastric bypass stomach reduction. First of all, even an operation under general anesthesia is often a risk for patients who are so overweight, as it can lead to problems with the cardiovascular system. As a result of stomach reduction, it is not uncommon to experience nausea and more frequent vomiting, which can have negative consequences for the patient’s dentition and esophagus. If too large pieces of food are ingested, there is a risk of gastric obstruction. Under certain circumstances, gastric bypass can lead to thrombosis, bleeding, gastric ulcers or intestinal obstructions. Statistically, the lowest risk is associated with the insertion of a gastric balloon, since no general anesthesia is required and the stomach is not surgically resized. However, it must be removed after about six months, otherwise there is a risk that it will burst.Although the saline solution inside is completely harmless; it is possible that intestinal obstruction may occur due to residues of the balloon itself. The exact risks and side effects must be carefully weighed before the procedure.
