Lasting results
More than 90 percent of our clients lose 80 percent of their excess weight (the weight over a BMI of 25) within 1 to 2 years after surgery. It is well documented that this weight loss is permanent. The weight loss helps reduce or eliminate obesity-related health problems such as diabetes type 2, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea, depression and osteoarthritis. Other obesity-related diseases such as reflux, PCOS, migraine, asthma and incontinence improve for the majority of our clients.
Many of our clients can stop taking their previous medications as their weight decreases. Several studies show that quality of life increases after gastric bypass surgery. We have results up to ten years after weight-loss surgery confirming this.
Years of experience from gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass came in to clinical use around 1966. Then it was performed with open surgery. The method was significantly refined as it began to be performed with laparoscopic technique around 1994. This meant decreased risks of complications and made the postoperative recovery much easier for the clients.
At Aleris Obesitas we constantly strive to make weight-loss surgery safer. We have the shortest average operating time in Sweden, resulting in short duration of anaesthesia and quick mobilization afterwards. The risk of ileus after gastric bypass has decreased by 90 percent (from previously 8-10 percent to currently 0,8 percent) since we started closing the mesenterial defects, which we began doing in 2011.
Who is eligible for gastric bypass surgery?
The public health care has certain criteria that need to be fulfilled:
- a BMI of 40 for at least 5 years (alternatively a BMI of 35 or more for at least 5 years and other obesity-related diseases)
- several failed attempts to lose weight (these must be documented)
- age requirements 18-65 years of age
Our opinion is that these criteria, from a scientific point of view, result in an unnecessary delay of surgery:
Aleris Obesitas criteria for private paying clients are a BMI of more than 30 but without the requirement of a 5 year duration. You should have made at least one serious attempt to lose weight (3-5% of all overweight patients succeed in losing weight on their own). One should be motivated to go through with weight-loss surgery. Our upper age limit is based on biology, not calendar age.
Diet after the operation
Food preferences are often altered after the operation, especially in the early phase. This is because the bowel has to adapt to nutrients reaching the intestinal mucosa directly. Tolerance for fat and sugar is reduced and the bowel will absorb less energy from the food. Gastric bypass surgery also changes the nervous and hormonal systems in that way that hunger and the urge to eat too much food is reduced.