The Shalimov Institute told about surgical methods of obesity treatment
Kyiv • UNN
In Eastern and Central Europe, 130 million people are overweight and 30 million are morbidly obese. The Shalimov Institute spoke about surgical methods of treating obesity.
130 million people in Eastern and Central Europe are overweight. Surgical methods of treating obesity, including bariatric surgery, are the most effective for sustained weight loss. This was reported at the National Scientific Center of Surgery and Transplantation named after O.O. Shalimov, UNN reports.
The doctors reminded that obesity is a chronic metabolic disease. It has a number of complications and a high probability of relapse after treatment.
The main diagnostic criterion for obesity is an excess of total body weight relative to the normal range. According to the criteria developed by the US National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, overweight corresponds to a body mass index (BMI) range of 25 to 29.9, and obesity is defined as a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2
In Eastern and Central Europe, 130 million people are overweight and 30 million are morbidly obese. People with obesity have a shorter life expectancy and a 12-fold increase in mortality rates under the age of 40
The Center notes that conservative methods of treating obesity (diets, drug therapy, physical activity) work only in 5-10% of patients. After such treatment, more than 95% of patients not only regain their original weight within a few years, but also increase it.
The main objective of surgical treatment of obesity is a steady decrease in the patient's body weight and, as a result, improvement of the clinical course of concomitant diseases.
In Ukraine , bariatric surgery has developed mainly in two directions:
- Reducing the absorption surface of the small intestine and creating conditions for unsatisfactory digestion and incomplete absorption (malabsorption). Such surgical interventions are called malabsorptive;
- reduction of the stomach volume and, as a result, limitation of the amount of food - gastric restrictive surgery.
In addition, there are combined methods of treatment:
- biliopancreatic and distal gastric bypass, which combine the principles of restrictive and malabsorptive techniques;
- gastric bypass surgery in various variants, including mini gastric bypass and gastric bypass surgery with a single anastomosis (has a number of advantages due to its mini-invasiveness, which allows to reduce the patient's hospital stay and obtain a good cosmetic effect);
- sleeve gastrectomy.
Reportedly, the most effective method of treating patients with morbid obesity among the minimally invasive methods is the implantation of intragastric balloons. A foreign body, a balloon filled with liquid (up to 700 ml), is inserted into the stomach cavity.
The balloon is installed under the control of an endoscope for up to 6 months. It can be used as an independent method in case of initial forms of obesity or to prepare for bariatric surgery. It allows to achieve a weight loss of 10-15 kg, and in some patients up to 20-30 kg.
