A Stomach reduction is a surgical procedure that is used to treat morbid obesity. The stomach is made smaller in various ways so that the patient consumes significantly less food and, as a result, loses weight. Under certain circumstances, such an operation can be paid for by the statutory health insurance.
What is a stomach reduction?
Under the term Stomach reduction Experts understand a surgical procedure in which the volume of the human stomach is significantly reduced.
After the operation, only very small amounts of food can be consumed. Stomach reduction is performed when a patient suffers from obesity (pathological obesity) and his health is seriously endangered as a result. There are three different methods for reducing the size of the stomach to choose from, which can be used in individual cases depending on the patient's condition.
If other forms of treatment are unsuccessful and the weight remains permanently at a critical level, a stomach reduction can also take place at the expense of statutory health insurance companies. To do this, however, it must be checked in advance whether all other therapies have actually been tried and have been unsuccessful.
Function, effect & goals
A Stomach reduction can be the last resort for patients suffering from abnormal obesity to control their weight and thus extend their life.
If all other treatment methods have failed and the health and life of the person concerned are acutely endangered by the obesity and the resulting secondary diseases, doctors and health insurance companies will jointly speak out in favor of stomach reduction. With this, the existing stomach is permanently or temporarily reduced in size using different techniques so that food can only be consumed to a very limited extent.
Often the food has to be consumed pureed. As a result, the weight of the person affected is almost inevitably reduced. There are three methods available to perform a stomach reduction. The insertion of a gastric balloon is not actually an operation, as no incision is made. Instead, a balloon is inserted into the stomach through the esophagus and then filled with salt water so that it hardly leaves any room for food.
This is the gentlest way to shrink the stomach. Alternatively, a gastric band or a so-called gastric bypass can be used. In the first method, the stomach is tied 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 considerably smaller than the actual stomach of the patient. Part of the small intestine takes on the digestive functions.
Gastric bypass is a very complicated surgical procedure that can take up to seven hours and is a not inconsiderable burden on the patient's organism. Which stomach reduction method is used depends, among other things, on the patient's state of health.
Risks, side effects & dangers
In addition to the basic risks that an operation can entail, it can be especially with one Stomach reduction the gastric band or gastric bypass lead to complications. First of all, an operation under general anesthesia is often a risk for patients who are so overweight, as this can lead to problems with the cardiovascular system.
As a result of stomach reduction, nausea and frequent vomiting often occur, which can have negative consequences for the patient's teeth and esophagus. If too large pieces of food are ingested, there is a risk of gastric obstruction. Gastric bypass can lead to thrombosis, bleeding, gastric ulcer or intestinal obstruction.
From a statistical point of view, the lowest risk is the insertion of a gastric balloon, as no general anesthesia is necessary and the size of the stomach is not changed surgically. However, it must be removed after about six months, otherwise there is a risk of it bursting. The saline solution inside is completely harmless; however, remnants of the balloon itself can lead to an intestinal obstruction. The exact risks and side effects must be carefully considered before the procedure.
