Obesity may cause Infertility. Bariatric Surgery may solve both.
Each time you see a baby, does your heart ache instead of rejoicing? The internal turmoil of the one who is unable to conceive is deeply personal and painful.
But we are fortunate to live in the modern era when medical science can assist couples facing infertility issues to conceive and experience the joy of raising a child.
There are a number of causes for the problem of Infertility. One among them is Obesity. World Health Organisation defines Obesity as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more.
Obesity and Infertility are directly and closely related.
Obese women are three times more likely to suffer infertility than women with a normal body mass index as documented in a research study published in 1994 in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In order to tackle the problem of Infertility, it is necessary to first tackle the problem of Obesity.
An obese woman is more likely to experience irregular menstrual cycles.
Obesity has also been found to be associated with PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which involves the presence of cysts on the ovaries.
Even in cases of assisted reproduction methods like IVF, IUI etc., the prognosis is poorer in case of obese patients and pregnancy rates are only about half for women with a BMI of more than 35.
Moreover, obese women need to take higher doses of gonadotropins injections for stimulating follicle growth during the process.
Further, those with obesity face an increased risk of miscarriage, complications during labour, foetal loss and still birth.
Obesity is also associated with a substantial increase in medical complications during pregnancy like hyper tension, gestational diabetes and eclampsia.Eclampsia is a rare but serious condition that causes seizures during pregnancy risking the health of both mother and baby.
Male infertility too is linked with Obesity. Obese men are more likely to have a lower sperm count, sperm of lower quality and lower levels of testosterone.
While a lifestyle and diet change are absolutely imperative for weight loss, Bariatric Surgery has been found to be the most effective long term solution for dealing with Obesity.
Bariatric surgery involves reducing the size of the patient’s stomach with the help of a gastric band also known as a lap-band. Alternatively, a part of the stomach can be removed with a procedure called Sleeve Gastrectomy. A third option is to create a new digestion path bypassing the stomach with help from a procedure called Gastric bypass.
Your Surgeon will suggest which of these options is best suited for you.
All these procedures cause safe reduction of food intake and long term weight loss.
The procedures are performed through laparoscopy i.e. through the key-hole method. This involves a few miniature incisions or a single incision. As a result, compared to an open surgery, there will be no pain from incisions, shorter stay in hospital, less chances of infection and much quicker recovery. Also there will be no major scars of surgery.
The impact of Bariatric surgery becomes apparent within the first few weeks of surgery with patient losing considerable weight.
Studies show that with every unit BMI drop, your chances of conception dramatically increase.
Bariatric Surgery involves risk just like any other surgery. It is important to understand that as with any other surgery, the surgeon’s skill and expertise reduce the risk involved.
The success of a surgery and the patient’s experience depends mostly on the vast experience and skill of the surgeon along with his team. It is therefore necessary that one approaches a top Bariatric Centre with vast experience in performing laparoscopic surgery.
In summary, Bariatric Surgery could be the One Solution to your Many Problems.
Cheers
