Congenital heart disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart. The term congenital means the condition is present at birth.

Why it happens?

In most cases, no obvious cause of congenital heart disease is identified. However, there are some things known to increase the risk of the condition, including:

Down’s syndrome – a genetic disorder that affects a baby’s normal physical development and causes learning difficulties
He mother having certain infections, such as rubella, during pregnancy
The mother having poorly controlled type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes

Types of congenital heart disease

There are many types of congenital heart disease. Some of the more common defects include:

Septal defects
Coarctation of the aorta
Pulmonary valve stenosis
Transposition of the great arteries

Treating congenital heart disease

The treatment for congenital heart disease usually depends on the defect you or your child has.
Modern surgical techniques can often restore most or all of the heart’s normal function, and nowadays about 80% of children with congenital heart disease will survive into adulthood.
Symptoms of congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease can have a range of symptoms, as the condition refers to several different types of heart defect.

General symptoms of congenital heart disease can include:

excessive sweating
extreme tiredness and fatigue
poor feeding
rapid heartbeat
rapid breathing
shortness of breath
Chest pain
Ablue tinge to the skin (cyanosis)

In more severe cases, these problems may develop shortly after birth. However, symptoms sometimes don’t develop until the teenage or early adulthood.

Complications

Children and adults with congenital heart disease can also develop a range of further problems, such as:

problems with growth and development
repeated respiratory tract infections (RTIs)
heart infection (endocarditis)
pulmonary hypertension
heart failure

Treatment
Aortic valve stenosis

If treatment is required, a procedure called a balloon valvuloplasty is often the recommended treatment option.

During this procedure a small tube (catheter) is passed through the blood vessels to the site of the narrowed valve. A balloon attached to the catheter is inflated, which helps widen the valve and relieve any blockage in blood flow.

If balloon valvuloplasty is ineffective or unsuitable, it is usually necessary to remove and replace the valve using open heart surgery.

Coarctation of the aorta

In less serious form of coarctation of the aorta in later life, the main goal of treatment will be to control their high blood pressure. This will usually involve using a combination of diet, exercise and, in some cases, medication.

In more serious form of coarctation of the aorta that develops shortly after birth, surgery to restore the flow of blood through the aorta is usually recommended.

Ebstein’s anomaly

If Ebstein’s anomaly is mild, it does not require treatment. If the valve is very leaky, surgery to repair the abnormal tricuspid valve is usually recommended.

Patent ductus arteriosus

Many cases of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can be treated with medication shortly after birth.If PDA does not close with medication, the duct may be sealed with a coil or plug, which is implanted using a catheter.

Pulmonary valve stenosis

Mild pulmonary valve stenosis does not require treatment as it does not cause any symptoms or problems.More severe cases of pulmonary valve stenosis usually require treatment

As with aortic valve stenosis, the main treatment for pulmonary valve stenosis is a balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty. However, if this is ineffective or the valve is not suitable for this treatment, surgery may be needed to open the valve (valvotomy).

Valve Surgeries

The heart has four chambers. There are two small chambers at the top of the heart called atria, and two larger chambers at the bottom called ventricles.

Each ventricle has two valves:

One valve controls the blood flowing into the ventricle
The other valve controls the blood flowing out of the ventricle

Each valve is made up of flaps, also called leaflets or cusps. These flaps open and close, acting as one-way gates for the blood to flow through.

Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

Pulmonary valve stenosis is a heart valve disorder in which outflow of blood from the right ventricle of the heart is obstructed at the level of the pulmonic valve. This results in the reduction of flow of blood to the lungs. Valvular pulmonic stenosis accounts for 80% of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction

Signs and symptoms

Pulmonary valve stenosis signs and symptoms may include:

Heart murmur — an abnormal whooshing sound heard using a stethoscope, caused by turbulent blood flow
Shortness of breath, especially during exertion
Chest pain
Loss of consciousness (fainting)
Fatigue
Palpitations

Evaluation

The initial evaluation of pulmonary valve stenosis involves echocardiography.
Treatment

Valve replacement or surgical repair (depending upon whether the stenosis is in the valve or vessel) may be indicated. If the valve stenosis is of congenital origin, balloon valvuloplasty is another option, depending on the case..

Valve Surgeries

The heart has four chambers. There are two small chambers at the top of the heart called atria, and two larger chambers at the bottom called ventricles.

Each ventricle has two valves:

One valve controls the blood flowing into the ventricle
The other valve controls the blood flowing out of the ventricle

Each valve is made up of flaps, also called leaflets or cusps. These flaps open and close, acting as one-way gates for the blood to flow through.

Mitral Valve Surgery

The mitral valve (also called the bicuspid valve) separates the upper left heart chamber from the lower left heart chamber, and helps control blood flow through the heart.

Problems with the mitral valve can make the heart less efficient at pumping blood around the body. Severe problems can lead to heart failure if the valve is not surgically repaired or replaced.
Mitral valve problems

Common mitral valve problems are:

mitral regurgitation, or backflow of blood
mitral valve prolapse, where the valve collapses (often leading to regurgitation)
mitral stenosis, where the valve doesn’t open as wide as it should, restricting blood flow

Mitral valve operations

The most common procedures are:

mitral valve repair surgery
mitral valve replacement surgery
percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty (used to treat mitral stenosis)

Valve Surgeries

The heart has four chambers. There are two small chambers at the top of the heart called atria, and two larger chambers at the bottom called ventricles.

Each ventricle has two valves:

One valve controls the blood flowing into the ventricle
The other valve controls the blood flowing out of the ventricle

Each valve is made up of flaps, also called leaflets or cusps. These flaps open and close, acting as one-way gates for the blood to flow through.
Aortic valve surgery

The aortic valve controls the flow of blood out of the left ventricle of the heart to the body’s main artery (the aorta). From the aorta, the blood flows to the rest of the body.The aortic valve opens to allow blood to flow from the heart out to the rest of your body. It then closes to stop any blood leaking back into the heart.

Illustration of aortic valve replacement

Aorta
Aortic Valve
Plastic repair of valve
Mitral valve

Causes for the aortic valve surgery

The aortic valve may need to be replaced for two reasons:

Narrowing of the valve (aortic stenosis)
Leaking of the valve (aortic regurgitation)

Procedure

During surgery, a cut is made in the chest to access the heart. The heart is then stopped and a heart-lung bypass machine is used to take over the circulation during the operation. The aortic valve is removed and replaced with an artificial valve (prosthesis). The heart is then started again and the incision in the chest is closed.

There are two main types of replacement valve:

Mechanical valves
Biological valves

Risks of valve replacement

Rare complications following aortic valve replacement are:

Infection
Clotting
Stroke
The valve may wear out or become damaged
Irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)

NEW DELHI: India is fast becoming a popular medical tourism destination. Out of the 41,000 Iraqi tourists who visited the country in 2013, over 53 per cent came for medical treatment. Similarly, 45 per cent of Afghanis and 45 per cent of Nigerians came for similar reasons. Between 2009 and 2013, the number of foreign tourists coming to India for medical purposes doubled.

Encouraged by the response of foreign tourists visiting India for world-class medical treatment available here at much lower rates than abroad, the Indian government is setting up a separate body for medical tourism.

“We will soon be setting up a separate department in the ministry (of health) to act as coordinating office to provide for the medical tourists coming to India. It would include ministry officials and stakeholders like those from hospitals, hospitality industry, tour operators,” Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma told The Sunday Standard. He said the announcement in this regard would be made in the next few days.

“India is an affordable destination for people looking for best medical facilities at 1/8 cost of those available in some advanced countries. Even in countries like USA and England, Indian doctors are considered the best,” Sharma added. A Lok Sabha MP from Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida), Sharma is a trained doctor and chairman of Kailash Health Care, which runs a chain of super- and multi-speciality hospitals.

The celebration of International Yoga Day has brought the focus on the Indian system of medicine, particularly the alternative stream, which includes ayurveda and holistic wellness. Sharma says the Ministry of AYUSH and Health, too, would partner in the new initiative planned by his ministry.

Globally, medical value travel (MVT) is a $10.5 billion industry estimated to grow to $32.5 billion over the next five years at compound annual growth rate of 17.9 per cent. India certainly wants a lion’s share in this pie.

But India faces competition from better organised rivals. “Countries like USA, Turkey, Japan or smaller ones like Jordan, Croatia, Costa Rica and Malaysia are extremely organised in promoting themselves for medical travel,” says a recently released report by global consultancy firm KPMG. However, in contrast, India is fragmented in its approach as only individual hospitals have been promoting themselves as the hospital destinations,” the report stated.

In 2012, India received 1.7 lakh foreign tourists who came here for medical treatment, while Thailand received 25.30 lakh medical tourists, thus indicating what a better-planned approach can do. Popular medical tourism destinations in India are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

In a recent statement, Sharma said that the wellness industry was growing by 30 per cent in India. “No other sector is growing at a rate of 30 per cent.” He added, “Medical visa on ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) is already being provided in SAARC countries and would soon be extended further.”

During 2009, the number of foreign tourists was a little more than 51 lakh, out of which 2.2 per cent came for medical treatment. But by 2013, as medical treatment in India got more advanced and cheaper, the foreign tourist arrivals increased to around 70 lakh. Of this, 3.4 per cent visit for medical purposes.

There has been an influx of tourists from countries such as Iraq (53.5 per cent), Nigeria (42.4 per cent), Afghanistan (45.3 per cent) and Maldives (50.1 per cent), coming to India for medical purposes.

Angioplasty and stent placement:

Angioplasty is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. These blood vessels are called the coronary arteries.

A coronary artery stent is a small, metal mesh tube that expands inside a coronary artery. A stent is often placed during or immediately after angioplasty. It helps prevent the artery from closing up again. A drug-eluting stent has medicine embedded in it that helps prevent the artery from closing in the long term.
Balloon angioplasty – short segmentWatch this video about:
Balloon angioplasty – short segment
Description

Before the angioplasty procedure begins, you will receive some pain medicine. You may also be given medicine that relaxes you, and blood thinning medicines to prevent a blood clot from forming.

You will lie on a padded table. Your doctor will insert a flexible tube (catheter) through a surgical cut into an artery. Sometimes the catheter will be placed in your arm or wrist, or in your upper leg or groin area. You will be awake during the procedure.

The doctor will use live x-ray pictures to carefully guide the catheter up into your heart and arteries. Dye will be injected into your body to highlight blood flow through the arteries. This helps the doctor see any blockages in the blood vessels that lead to your heart.

A guide wire is moved into and across the blockage. A balloon catheter is pushed over the guide wire and into the blockage. The balloon on the end is blown up (inflated). This opens the blocked vessel and restores proper blood flow to the heart.

A wire mesh tube (stent) may then be placed in this blocked area. The stent is inserted along with the balloon catheter. It expands when the balloon is inflated. The stent is left there to help keep the artery open.
Coronary artery stent

The stent may be coated with a drug (called a drug-eluting stent). This type of stent may lower the chance of the artery closing back up in the future. Currently, drug-eluting stents are used only for certain patients.
Why the Procedure is Performed

Arteries can become narrowed or blocked by deposits called plaque. Plaque is made up of fat and cholesterol that builds up on the inside of artery walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis.

Angioplasty may be used to treat:

Blockage in a coronary artery during or after a heart attack
Blockage or narrowing of one or more coronary arteries that puts you at risk for a heart attack
Narrowings that reduce blood flow and cause persistent chest pain (angina) that medicines do not control

Not every blockage can be treated with angioplasty. Some patients who have several blockages or blockages in certain locations may need coronary bypass surgery.
Risks

Angioplasty is generally safe, but ask your doctor about the possible complications. Risks of angioplasty and stent placement are:

Allergic reaction to the drug used in a drug-eluting stent, the stent material, or the x-ray dye
Bleeding or clotting in the area where the catheter was inserted
Blood clot
Clogging of the inside of the stent (in-stent restenosis)
Damage to a heart valve or blood vessel
Heart attack
Kidney failure (higher risk in people who already have kidney problems)
Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias)
Stroke (this is rare)

Before the Procedure

Angioplasty is often performed when you go to the hospital or emergency room for chest pain, or after a heart attack. If you are admitted to the hospital for angioplasty:

Tell your doctor what drugs you are taking, even drugs or herbs you bought without a prescription.
You will usually be asked not to drink or eat anything for 6 to 8 hours before the test.
Take the drugs your doctor told you to take with a small sip of water.
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to seafood, you have had a bad reaction to contrast material or iodine in the past, you are taking Viagra, or you are or might be pregnant.

After the Procedure

The average hospital stay is 2 days or less. Some people may not even have to stay overnight in the hospital.

In general, people who have angioplasty are able to walk around within 6 hours after the procedure. Complete recovery takes a week or less. You will be given information about how to care for yourself after angioplasty.
Outlook (Prognosis)

For most people, angioplasty greatly improves blood flow through the coronary artery and the heart. It may help you avoid the need for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

Angioplasty does not cure the cause of the blockage in your arteries. Your arteries may become narrow again.

Follow your heart-healthy diet, exercise, stop smoking (if you smoke), and reduce stress to lower your chances of having another blocked artery. Your health care provider may prescribe medicine to help lower your cholesterol.
Alternative Names

PCI; Percutaneous coronary intervention; Balloon angioplasty; Coronary angioplasty; Coronary artery angioplasty; Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; Heart artery dilatation

Coronary artery bypass graft

A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat coronary heart disease.It diverts blood around narrowed or clogged parts of the major arteries (blood vessels), to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.

Risk factors for coronary heart disease include:

Older age
Smoking
Obesity
A high-fat diet

The procedure

CABG involves taking a blood vessel from another part of the body, usually the chest or leg, and attaching it to the coronary artery above and below the narrowed area or blockage. This new blood vessel is known as a graft.The graft diverts the flow of blood around the part of the coronary artery that is narrowed or blocked

Preparing before the procedure

Before surgery, you will attend a pre-admission clinic, where you will be seen by a member of the team who will be looking after you in Manipal hospital.

At this clinic, you will have a physical examination and be asked for details of your medical history. Any investigations and tests that you need will be arranged. This is a good time to ask questions about the procedure, but feel free to discuss any concerns you might have at any time.
You will be asked:

Whether you are taking any tablets or other types of medication; it helps if you bring details with you of anything you are taking (for example, bring the packaging with you)
About previous anaesthetics you have had, and whether you had any problems with these (such as nausea)
Whether you are allergic to anything

They will also want to know about your teeth, for example, whether you wear dentures or have caps or a plate.
You will be advised to stop smoking. This is because smoking increases your chances of a serious chest infection and slows down the time your wounds will take to heal. Smoking can also increase your risk of blood clots.

Because the procedure is performed using a general anaesthetic (you are put to sleep), you must not eat or drink for at least six hours before the operation. You may be able to have occasional sips of water until two hours before the operation.

Postoperative care

For the first day or two after your operation, you will be in an intensive treatment unit so the medical staff can check your progress regularly.

You will be given painkillers and you should tell your doctor or nurse if the pain increases or if you loose a lot of blood.Recovery after your coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) will take time. It’s likely you will feel groggy and disoriented after the procedure.

Everyone recovers at slightly different speeds. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to sit in a chair after one day, walk after three days and walk upstairs after five or six days.Your stay in hospital will usually be around seven days. It may be longer if the doctors wish to monitor your condition more closely.

Normally, you’d expect to make a full recovery within 12 weeks. However, if you experience complications during or after the surgery, your recovery time is likely to be longer.
Someone from the cardiac rehabilitation team or physiotherapy department will discuss your rehabilitation with you before you go home. They will be able to advise you on the best ways to get back to full health.

At home

To ease any soreness where the cut was made, you may need to continue taking painkillers at home.
For the first three-to-six weeks, you will probably feel tired. By six weeks, you should be able to do most of the things you want to. By three months, you are likely to have regained full health.

Caring for your wound

Care for your chest wound by keeping it clean and free from infection. Make sure you protect it from the sun.You will have a scar where the surgeon cut down your breastbone. This is red at first, but will gradually fade over time.
Recovery

The recovery time after aortic valve replacement surgery varies from person to person and will depend on:

Your age
Your overall health and fitness
How well you were before the operation

Success

After your coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), you should feel relief from most of your symptoms, such as chest pain.

Research has shown that 83% of people are free of heart-related symptoms for five years, and 63% for 10 years after the procedure.
CABG is not a cure for coronary artery disease. To get the most out of the procedure, try to live a healthy lifestyle and make sure you take any prescribed medication as directed by your GP.

Cardiac catheterisation is an invasive diagnostic procedure that provides important information about the structure and function of the heart.

It usually involves taking X-ray pictures of the heart’s arteries (coronary arteries) using a technique called coronary angiography or arteriography. The resulting images are known as coronary angiograms or arteriograms.

Need of coronary angiography

Coronary angiography can be used to help diagnose heart conditions, help plan future treatments and carry out certain procedures. For example, it may be used:

after a heart attack – where the heart’s blood supply is blocked
to help diagnose angina – where pain in the chest is caused by a restricted blood supply to the heart
to plan interventional or surgical procedures – such as a coronary angioplasty, where narrowed or blocked blood vessels are widened

Coronary angiography is also considered to be the best method of diagnosing coronary heart disease
Procedure

During the procedure, a long, thin and flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in your groin or arm. Using X-ray images as a guide, the tip of the catheter is passed up to the heart and coronary arteries.

A special type of dye called contrast medium is injected into the catheter and X-ray images (angiograms) are taken.
The procedure is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, so you will be awake while the procedure is carried out, but the area where the catheter is inserted will be numbed.
Before the procedure

Before the procedure is carried out, you should tell your cardiologist at Manipal if you have any allergies and if you are taking any medication, either for a heart problem or another medical condition.

You will be told whether to continue taking your medication or if you need to stop. You should not stop taking prescribed medication unless you are advised to do so. You will also be asked not to eat or drink anything for a few hours before the procedure.
Post operative care

You should be able to sit up straight away and you may be able to walk around soon afterwards if the catheter was inserted into your arm.
Going home

Most people are able to go home on the same day the procedure is carried out, although you will need to arrange a lift home from a family member or friend.You should also make sure that someone stays with you overnight in case you experience any problems.
Recovery

You will be advised about things to do or avoid during your recovery before leaving Manipal hospital. Examples of advice you may be given include:

Avoid having a bath for a day or two. You can still take a shower, but try to keep the wound as dry as possible.
Do not drive until advised that it is safe to do so, which may not be for up to three days.
Avoid playing sport, excessive activity or lifting anything heavy for about two days.

Risks and Success rate

Cardiac catheterisation and coronary angiography are generally considered to be safe procedures. However, as with all medical procedures, there are some associated risks.The main risks of coronary angiography include:

bleeding under the skin at the wound site (haematoma)
bruising
allergy to the contrast dye used

Serious complications

In very rare cases, more serious complications of coronary angiography can occur. These include:

damage to the artery in the arm or groin in which the catheter was inserted
heart attack
stroke
damage to the kidneys caused by the contrast dye
tissue damage caused by X-ray radiation if the procedure is prolonged
death

The risk of a serious complication occurring is estimated to be less than 1 in 1,000. People with serious underlying heart problems are most at risk.

Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Surgery
Laparoscopic gastric banding surgery is usually performed through small incisions in the tummy using a camera. This minimally invasive surgical technique results in less discomfort and time off than traditional abdominal surgery. During the 60-90 minute procedure, a band, much like a wristwatch, is fastened around the upper stomach to create a small pouch which restricts the amount of food that can be consumed. In addition to the band, an access port, connected by tubing, is placed in the abdomen wall. This port allows for the size of the band to be increased or decreased with saline. The procedure does not involve cutting or stapling of the stomach or intestines, providing the option to reverse the treatment.
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, popularly known as ” lap band ” The procedure entails placing an inflatable silicone device or band around the top portion of the stomach, which reduces the capacity of the stomach, resulting in lesser food intake and thus promoting weight loss . Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding leads to loss of about 40% of excess weight, on average . The procedure helps with weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold. The best part of the procedure is that it is reversible and adjustable. Since a small pouch in the upper part of the stomach is created with a stoma which is adjustable and controllable, the doctor is able to regulate the rate of weight loss according to the patients’ requirements. Gastric banding is considered the least invasive weight loss surgery. It is also the safest. The procedure can be reversed if necessary, and in time, the stomach generally returns to its normal size.
Another very important characteristic of this surgery is that, it is minimally invasive procedure of its kind. The process usually requires a shorter stay at the hospital, has a quicker recovery process, lesser scars and marks, and lesser pain as compared to other bariatric surgery procedures.

Cost Estimate for Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Surgery at World Class Hospital in India – $8200 US Dollars. Cost Estimate for above include stay in a Private Room for 3 days at the hospital, where a Companion can stay with the patient surgeon fee, medicines and consumables, nursing care, food and Airport Pick & Drop. More accurate treatment cost estimates can be provided if medical reports are emailed to us or after the patient is examined by doctors after arrival athospital in Indiaand medical tests are done after admission.

Bariatric Surgery
(Severe Obesity)

*Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective treatment option for those affected by severe obesity. Moreover, these same procedures have also been recognized for their impact on metabolic or hormonal changes that play a major role in hunger (the desire to start eating) and satiety (the desire to stop eating) as well as improvement and/or resolution of conditions that can occur as a result of severe obesity. Bariatric surgery is a recognized and accepted approach for both weight-loss and many of the conditions that occur as a result of severe obesity; however, not all people affected by severe obesity will qualify for bariatric surgery. There are certain criteria that a person must meet in order to be a candidate for bariatric surgery.

*Please Note: It is important to note that there are risks involved with bariatric surgery, as well as any other surgical procedure. Before making a treatment decision, it is important to discuss these risks with your primary care provider and/or surgeon. The OAC also encourages individuals to discuss these risks with their family members. To maintain consistency throughout our materials, total body weight-loss is used when comparing all surgical treatment options. You may encounter other post-surgery materials that report/discuss weight-loss as “excess body weight.” For accuracy, be sure to ask your provider what method they’re reporting when discussing surgical options for weight-loss.

Indications:
At the 1991 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference, bariatric surgery was considered an accepted and effective approach that provides consistent, durable weight-loss for individuals affected by severe obesity. Furthermore, the NIH identified several criteria for candidacy for bariatric surgery, including:

Body Mass Index (BMI) = a number calculated based on a person’s height and weight:
BMI >40, Severe obesity (or weighing more than 100 pounds over ideal body weight)
BMI 35-40 with significant obesity-related conditions (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea or high cholesterol)
No endocrine causes of obesity
Acceptable operative risk
Understands surgery and risks
Absence of drug or alcohol problem
No uncontrolled psychological conditions
Failed attempts at medical weight-loss (diets, other weight-loss options)

Consult with your primary care provider (PCP) and insurance provider to see if you are a candidate.

Benefits:
Within two to three years after the operation, bariatric surgery usually results in a weight-loss of 10 to 35 percent of total body weight, depending on the chosen procedure. Those considering bariatric surgery should talk to their PCP about what their personal expectations should be for loss of excess weight. In addition, co-morbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and others are often reduced or may go into remission. Most will find they require fewer medicines throughout time and many will discontinue their medicines completely.

Risks:
Research indicates that some patients who undergo bariatric surgery may have unsatisfac­tory weight-loss or regain much of the weight that they lost. Some behaviors such as frequent snacking on high-calorie foods or lack of exercise can contrib­ute to inadequate weight-loss. Technical problems that may occur after the operation, like separated stitches, may also contribute to inadequate weight-loss. There are also other potential complications that may occur which have been listed below with each of the various procedures.

Remember, bariatric surgery is not the “easy way out.” This treatment option is a tool that patients use to lose weight. Surgery is a resource to help reduce weight and maintain weight-loss. Lifestyle adjustments encompassing behavioral, diet, physical activity and psychological changes are required for you to maintain a healthy quality of life. Continued positive weight-loss relies upon your desire and dedication to change your lifestyle with a proactive approach.

Throughout this section, you will see terms, such as “metabolic,“ “non-metabolic,” “laparoscopic” and “open,” in which you may not be familiar. Prior to reading about the different surgeries, we have provided you with a brief description of some of the most commonly used terms when talking about bariatric surgery.

Open vs. Laparoscopic Procedures

In each section, you will see the surgeries described as being performed “open” or “laparoscopic.” Although the laparoscopic procedure has increasingly gained in popularity and frequency, open procedures are still used in practice today. The approach will depend on several factors, including surgeon experience as well as your surgical and medical history, which may influence one approach to be used over the other. Please be sure to discuss the surgical approach with your surgeon.

“Open” – The open procedure involves a single incision that opens the abdomen, which provides the surgeon access to the abdominal cavity. The incision can vary in length from as little as three inches to as large as six or more inches.

“Laparoscopic” – In laparoscopic surgery, a small video camera is inserted into the abdomen allowing the surgeon to conduct and view the procedure on a video monitor. Both camera and surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions made in the abdominal wall. The number of incisions will vary depending on the surgical procedure and surgeon experience. Some surgical procedures can be performed via a single incision while other procedures may involve six or more small incisions.

Metabolic vs. Non-metabolic

The operations in this group help patients lose weight by altering their gastrointestinal tracts. Examples include the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RNYGB), and the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS).

“Metabolic Operations” – The operations in this group help patient lose weight by altering their gastrointestinal tracts. By doing this, it changes the patient’s physiological response to fat loss. After metabolic surgery, there is a change in the way that gut hormones are secreted. The result is that after surgery, in the face of fat loss, patients don’t have to fight their hunger which is helpful when attempting to lose weight.

Recent research indicates that each bariatric surgery works not only through the anatomical and mechanical changes from the procedure itself, but through metabolic changes in the “gut hormones.” Numerous studies have examined pre-operative and post-operative gut hormone levels after bariatric surgery. A brief summary of hormonal changes after each bariatric procedure is provided in the next sections. Some of these hormones are:

Ghrelin: functions primarily to stimulate appetite
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1): mechanism of action includes increased satiety and reduced stomach emptying
Peptide YY (PYY): reduces appetite and increases efficiency of digestion and nutrient absorption

“Non-metabolic Operations” – The options in this group provide significant weight-loss without altering the physiology of energy (fat) storage. Examples include the laparoscopic adjustable gastric bands (LapBand® and the Realize Band®) and Neuromodulation (VBLOC®). They are considered non-metabolic options because they do not alter the body’s normal mechanisms that occur when dieting. With bandings and with dieting, orexigenic hormones increase and anorexigenic hormones decrease.