Bariatric Surgery (Essay Sample)

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Bariatric Surgery
There are numerous reasons why bariatric surgery for adolescents should not be allowed, since it has more adverse effects than benefits. Due to new developments in the world today, changing lifestyle and new eating habits, there have been many arising health issues (Stefater & Inge 1341). One of these issues is diabetes, a condition that affects all people, indiscriminately. Nowadays, it is a fact that all people, regardless of their ages are affected by obesity (Philip 74). There is a growing concern resulting from high cases of young people suffering from obesity. In the recent years, based on body mass index (BMI), over 16 percent of children in America have been found to be suffering from obesity (Brzozowska et al. 271).
Obesity is a serious disease that can affect the social life of an individual. Morbid obesity can cause life-threatening diseases such as obstructive sleep apnea, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, degenerative joint disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome (Inge et al. 114). It is, as a result, of adverse effects that obesity has on the life of an individual that may them desperate to seek treatment of this condition through various mean. People suffering from this condition work extremely hard to ensure that they can manage the situation before it worsens (Philip 81). Due to the high cost related to the treatment of obesity, the government spend an enormous amount of money in trying to manage the situation in the country. In most cases, the government is unable to control the situation entirely. This creates a situation whereby some people are left to look for ways in which they can manage diabetes by themselves. There is a current trend in the world today in which paediatric population is greatly affected by the problem of obesity in the country (Stefater & Inge 1343). This creates the need for the government and the relevant authorities also to concentrate on the paediatric population with the aim of minimizing the number of obesity cases in the country. This is because; infants and adolescents are among the people affected by obesity in the world today.
There have been many campaigns that aimed at helping people suffering from obesity manage the condition. Some of these campaigns emphasize on healthy eating behavior as the best way to avoid obesity (Brzozowska et al. 278). Additionally, physical activities have been considered as another alternative of avoiding obesity. However, it has been found that physical activity and dietary interventions has little help to people suffering from obesity, particularly pediatric obesity and the adolescence (Stefater & Inge 1346).
As a result of little help in managing obesity of total failure of non-surgical method of dealing with obesity, many people have turned their attention to bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery involves various practices and procedures that are performed on individuals suffering from obesity (Jennifer et al. 118). This process involves a system that aim at helping an individual to lose weight. Through bariatric surgery, in order for an individual to lose weight, the size of the stomach is reduced through thee use of gastric band or by removing a section of the abdomen by ensuring that small intestines re-routed and respected to a tiny stomach pouch (Philip 87). Bariatric surgery is currently being considered as a strong and durable solution in the management of obesity. In the recent years bariatric surgery procedures have been employed in helping exceptionally obese adolescents. Bariatric surgery is considered the best method in dealing with obese adolescents; it is very useful in managing obesity in the adolescent population. Since this method is effective in ensuring weight reduction, it also plays an important role in resolving and preventing obesity-connected comorbidities (Inge et al. 114). However, bariatric surgery is a very risky procedure, and thus it should be permitted in obese adolescents. The following are reasons why bariatric surgery should not be permitted in obese adolescents.
Although there are various benefits that are associated with bariatric surgery, it should be understood that the procedure would result into serious effects on a persons’ health and body development (Jennifer et al. 124). The reason bariatric surgery is a controversial procedure is that there are many concerns that are related to the safety of the surgery (Philip 92). During this procedure, there are serious complications that are likely to affect individual health. The most common complications include atelectasis, staple line dehiscence, minor bleeding, and superficial venous thrombosis (Heather 254). Additionally, since bariatric surgery involve vital organs in a human being body; any error would result into death or very complicated condition that is likely to adversely affecting the life of an individual, entirely.
Apart from the risk associated with the surgery in bariatric surgery procedure, there is also financial problem that is a great concern to the parents when bariatric surgery is performed to an adolescent (Heather 255). Any surgery demands much money and, therefore, since most adolescents do not have financial resources to pay for their therapeutic expenses, and they have to depend on their parent (Jennifer et al. 126). This create an enormous burden to the parent, and sometimes parents are forced to skip some basic needs in order to help their children (those suffering from obesity) undergo bariatric surgery (Stern & Kazaks 561). Thus, bariatric surgery should not be permitted to adolescents since they do not have their own money to cater for their health expenses. Bariatric surgery should only be provided to adults who have the willingness and capacity to cater for their medical costs.
Bariatric surgery aims at helping obese individual able to reduce their weight. This procedure only helps an individual to reduce approximately 37 percent of all excessive weight (Jennifer et al. 127). Since it is not possible for this procedure to be repeated at any time desires to lose weight, bariatric surgery can only help a person lose excessive weight at one instant (Stefater & Inge 1348). This implies that; when one lose weight after bariatric surgery, one need to work extra hard in ensuring that the new body weight is maintained. Thus, this calls for a change in eating behaviors, and also come up with a long-term strategy on how to maintain healthy eating procedure, and ensure daily physical exercise (Mary 158). In order to come up with such strategies, one needs to have a clear mind and determination in order to ensure that all the set plans are followed and accomplished. Most adolescents are not mature enough to make their own decisions (Philip 93). Thus, bariatric surgery should not be provided to adolescents since one will need to have a clear mind and determination in order to ensure that the acquired new body weight, after bariatric surgery, is kept.
Bariatric surgery involves multiple procedures that are challenging to perform. These multiple procedures are likely to have long-term effects on a person’s body (van Geelen 41). For instance, there is a likelihood of bariatric surgery patient to develop long-term dietary deficiencies. This is because; bariatric surgery involves the reduction of the size of the stomach and, in some cases, small intestine. These two human organs are very essential in the process of digestion; any alteration on their size will have an effect on the process of digestion (Philip 94). This implies that once the individuals undergo bariatric surgery, there is a likelihood of their digestion being affected. A person may eat much food but due to failure in the process of digestion, some food elements, like protein, vitamins and minerals may not be absorbed into a person's body (Jennifer et al. 129). This will create a situation whereby that individual develops dietary deficiencies, thus affecting individual body and health development. During the adolescent, this is the most active period of a person’s development (Heather 257). Thus, there is a need to avoid bariatric surgery during adolescent in order to prevent dietary deficiencies that can result into retarded growth.
Apart from the risks that are related to the restrictive procedures of bariatric surgery, multiple operations associated with bariatric surgery are likely to cause serious complication (Jennifer et al. 132). Most of these complications are life-threatening and may require another surgery in order to minimize their risks to a person’s health. One of these complications includes abdominal hernia. After bariatric surgery, the risk of developing abdominal hernia increases by about 28 percent (Stefater & Inge 1348). This complication requires a well-plan reconstructive surgery. In this follow-up surgery, the risk involved is greater than the risk associated with bariatric surgery, there is a risk of death during follow-up surgery. Since most adolescents are highly affected by obesity, if bariatric surgery is recommended as a means of reducing weights, there will be many adolescents who will be suffering from complications resulting from bariatric surgery (Brzozowska et al. 279). As a result of these complications, there will be a need for follow-up surgery. Since follow-up surgery in adolescents is very risky and can result into death, in order to minimize the cases of adolescents losing their lives, bariatric surgery should not be provided for adolescents (Bryan et al. 1461).
Adolescent patients may lack the necessary discipline regarding the issue of bariatric diet, weight loss operation support group involvement, weight loss surgical procedure exercise, and surgeon follow-ups for efficient long-term outcomes (Jennifer et al. 138). Due to the seriousness involved in bariatric surgery, there is n...