Özel Egekent Hastanesi General Surgery Specialist Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz:
Obesity is a health problem that restricts movement and can cause many diseases
Denizli Özel Egekent Hospital General Surgery Specialist Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz and Bariatric Dietitian Müge Mertcan shared information about obesity surgery (bariatric surgery), one of the most common procedures in today’s medical world, and nutrition after obesity surgery.
Pointing out the definition of obesity, Özel Egekent Hospital General Surgery Specialist Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz stated that obesity is the presence of excess fat in the human body to the extent that it impairs health. Emphasizing that these excess fats reduce quality of life, Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz said that obesity, besides limiting movement, is a health problem that paves the way for many diseases, adding, “Obesity can cause many health problems ranging from sleep apnea to respiratory difficulties, musculoskeletal problems, insulin resistance, hypertension, gallbladder diseases, and coronary artery diseases.”
Surgery Should Be Considered If All Methods Fail
Emphasizing that patients should consider obesity surgery when methods such as diet, exercise, and medication do not yield results, Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz stated that before the surgery, the patient’s eligibility for the procedure is first checked, and then they are evaluated according to body mass index and any chronic diseases. Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz said that types of obesity surgeries include gastric band, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy, emphasizing that sleeve gastrectomy is the most commonly performed surgery and that the feedback they received has been very positive. He noted that in these cases, patients were able to lose nearly all of their excess weight within a year. Highlighting that sleeve gastrectomy has many advantages, Op. Dr. İbrahim Ekiz said, “After this surgery, improvements are seen in health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. Since the stomach is reduced, a feeling of fullness occurs. Compared to other surgical methods, weight loss is easier and more permanent.”
Post-Obesity Surgery Nutrition “Bariatric Nutrition”
Providing information about nutrition after obesity surgery (Bariatric surgery), Özel Egekent Hospital Dietitian Müge Mertcan underlined that obesity surgery alone is not a solution. She emphasized the importance of adopting healthy eating habits after surgery and pointed out that lifestyle changes are critical for the success of obesity surgery. Bariatric Dietitian Müge Mertcan stated that they work in coordination with general surgery in obesity surgeries and gave the following recommendations:
“We recommend that patients receive nutritional training from dietitians working in this field after surgery. For patients to adapt to the physiological and psychological changes they experience after obesity surgery in a healthy and sustainable way, eating habits must change through nutritional education. Especially during the rapid weight loss that occurs after obesity surgery, we inform our patients about what the right food sources are and how the stages should be followed to minimize muscle loss. In addition to all this, it is also important not to remain inactive. Along with changes in eating habits after obesity surgery, maintaining an active lifestyle is also necessary. We recommend making physical activity and exercise a lifestyle as much as nutrition.”