Rather than the stomach being banded, a relatively new procedure, called a sleeve gastrectomy, removes almost three quarters of the stomach forever.
“Some people choose sleeve gastrectomy more because it is somewhat lower maintenance than gastric banding, with no adjustments to be made,” said Dr Ahmad Aly from Darebin Weightloss Surgery.
According to Dr Aly, the results are also much more impressive.
More stories from Today Tonight“On average, a patient with sleeve gastrectomy seems to lose around 65 per cent to 70 per cent excess weight. Gastric banding averages 50 to 60 per cent excess weight loss,” he said.
Mother of two Kelly Sanguentti has battled obesity most of her adult life, fearing losing her life in the same way her dad lost his.
“I lost my dad at the same age I am now, and I didn't want to go down that road. I wanted to make a healthy change, all the exercise and eating that I tried, just weren't working,” said Kelly.
Having worked as a receptionist at Dr Aly's surgery, she knew her options.
“I wanted something that was going to be forever,” she explained.
Before the surgery Kelly Sanguenitti weighed 130 kilograms. Six months later she's down to 98 kilos.
“I started at a size 26 around Christmas, and to go shopping yesterday was a pure delight. I thought I'd try a pair of size 16 pants, thinking ‘no way would they fit’ … I did a high five to myself in the shop - it was very exciting,” Kelly said.
But it's not just the operation that's made this a success.
“I’m at the gym three to four times a week. I do boxing once a week ,and have been seeing a personal trainer,” she explained.
The number of Australians becoming obese is staggering. A decade ago there were 500 weight loss operations performed in a year, now there is 18,000.
A small number of those are the sleeve gastectomy but, as people hear of its benefits, it is fast becoming the surgery of choice.
Both verging on becoming morbidly obese, Kimberlie and Steve Gyaw decided they needed drastic action.
Kim explained that she had “struggled with my weight forever. Every time I lost all the weight, I'd put on double.”
Before the surgery Kimberlie weighed 158 kilograms. Twelve months later she weighs 94.
Stephen tipped the scales at 173 kilograms before surgery - a year later he's 124.
“I wanted to get the weight down while I was still young, and not have to face any of these health issues when I got older,” Stephen said.
So why did they opt for a sleeve gastectomy?
“It was a hard decision for me to make. I thought ‘I've got to lose this weight for the rest of my life and be a healthy weight’,” Stephen said.
A smaller stomach means much smaller portions..
“A number have been diabetic or pre-diabetic, and we've seen that disease in particular melt away with their weight loss. We've seen blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a range of illnesses changed dramatically,” Dr. Aly explained.
As with any operation, there are side-effects.
“This one has potential for leaking or bleeding from the staple line … Happily it’s quite uncommon, probably 1 per cent or less,” said Dr. Aly.
If you are morbidly obese you can go on a waiting list to have the surgery covered by Medicare. The out-of-pocket costs are about $10,000.
Privately, with no wait, it will cost about $4,000.
“The surgery is a tool to help you be successful, but it's a lot of work,” Kim said.
Links and information- For more information on the surgery visit the website or email.
- www.melbournelapband.com.au
- www.dwls.com.au
The information on yahoo7.com.au/todaytonight is made available for information purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Also, the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. Yahoo!7 and The Seven Network do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information.
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