Bariatric surgery and GLP-1s for ideal weight loss

It can be challenging to achieve and sustain significant weight loss through diet and exercise alone. Sometimes you need additional tools to help you manage your weight, and according to the Via Christi Weight Management team in Wichita, there is nothing wrong with extra help.

Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss treatment that has long been considered the medical gold standard for helping people lose weight. Recently, weight-loss medications have become another treatment option that is more accessible for people to lose weight. When you pair the two thoughtfully, it is a powerful combination against obesity.

Bariatric surgeries, such as sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, work by physically restricting how much food you can eat. They also change how your stomach hormones signal to your brain that you feel full. This combination can help you lose a great deal of weight. 

“However, there is a point where your habits and behaviors can catch up to your new, smaller stomach,” said Dena Marten, bariatric nurse educator at Via Christi. 

At this point, you can experience a weight plateau or even a weight gain.

“This is where weight-loss medications can step in and offer extra help,” said Marten. “Think of it as your bodyguard (the surgery) calling in reinforcements (the medication). The two work together to help you lose and protect weight loss.”

How do weight-loss medications work?

Weight-loss medications, particularly the GLP-1 medications, act like the natural hormones in your stomach that control appetite. They help to slow stomach emptying and improve insulin sensitivity, all making you feel fuller longer. 

“This combination transforms the game for patients who struggle with persistent hunger or cravings before and after surgery,” said Kimberly Oates, patient navigator at the Via Christi weight management clinic. “The medication provides an added layer of hormonal control that can help people break through stubborn weight loss plateaus, leading to greater total weight loss.”

This weight loss can also lead to better management of other conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Dual treatment for lasting results

The strategy recognizes that obesity is a disease with deep biological roots which sometimes requires several forms of treatment. 

Rather than viewing surgery and medication as two different things, our care teams see them as a dual or compatible treatment for weight loss.
Talk to your doctor to find out if weight-loss medications are right for you.

Learn more about surgical weight loss at Via Christi Weight Management or call 316-689-5232.