Liposuction, Lap Band Surgery, Gastric Bypass

What if you can't lose the weight?

The options for taking weight off when you lack the ability to do so yourself are not pleasant and can be expensive. The options are:

• Liposuction
• Lap Band Surgery
• Gastric Bypass

Liposuction - the patient is sedated. An incision is made in the problem area and a cannula is inserted under the skin. Then the fat deposits are sucked out of the body and deposited into a canister nearby. The risks generally lie with the surgeon or doctor operating the machine. Be sure the doctor is board certified and you have obtained referrals from him before consenting to this procedure.

Lap Band Surgery - A silicone ring is placed around the upper part of the stomach. Then it is filled with saline which creates another smaller stomach.

The smaller stomach means it takes less food to fill you up. You follow strict guidelines about eating, taking supplements and staying away from alcohol. There is no cutting, re-routing of major intestines or stomach stapling involved.

The incision is smaller than other bariatric surgeries. Only morbidly obese people qualify for this surgery.

Gastric Bypass - The stomach is made smaller by a series of staples, shutting off the majority of the stomach. This small stomach is connected directly to the small intestine bypassing the rest of the stomach and the large intestine.  I have known two people who had this surgery. Both experienced complications- "dumping syndrome" when the food moved to fast through the stomach and intestine. The person becomes weak, disoriented and nauseated. Heavy sweating and rapid heartbeat can occur. The person can pass out.

For Harolyn, her staples broke open because she kept eating more food at meals. Kym kept getting weak and passing out because she couldn't curb her appetite for liquor.

These are quicker fixes to being overweight, but they are not without risks.