Choosing surgery to aid in your weight-loss journey might be a life-changing decision.

No one chooses to undergo bariatric surgery lightly.

When it comes to results, choosing the appropriate type of bariatric surgery for you can make all the difference. Here are the four most common options:

Gastric balloon

Gastric balloons are a temporary and minimally invasive bariatric surgery alternative.

This option is for bariatric patients who need to reduce less weight than other individuals. Your BMI should be at least 28. Gastric balloons are used to help patients lose weight in preparation for other critical surgeries or to jump-start weight-loss results that can be difficult to obtain with dieting. After losing weight with the balloon, you'll be better able to maintain it on your own once the balloon is removed.

The deflated balloon is inserted during an endoscopy. A thin catheter that runs into your mouth and esophagus and is detached after the balloon is inflated inflates the balloon with fluid. To make the swallowing process more comfortable, you will be given medicine and an oral spray. The balloon is left in place for six months before being deflated and removed through the mouth during a subsequent endoscopic check.

You must adhere to a rigorous eating regimen for the six months that the balloon is in your stomach. Because the balloon makes you feel full faster, overeating can result in a variety of adverse effects, including reflux.

Gastric band

Gastric banding is a more permanent option that may be altered to accommodate future lifestyle changes.

To be eligible for gastric band surgery, you must have a BMI of 40 or above (35 or higher if you have additional weight-related disorders). This option appeals to individuals who may need to make changes in the future. The band can be deflated or relaxed during pregnancy or after you've had enough long-term success to demonstrate that you've acquired healthy eating habits.

Because of the band's flexibility, the outcomes are more variable. Gastric band users must be quite disciplined to be successful.

A band with an inflated inner cuff is surgically inserted right below the entrance to your stomach, limiting the flow of food and helping you feel full faster. The introduction of a foreign substance into your body does, however, imply that some band-specific issues, such as slippage or degeneration of the band, may occur on occasion.

Weight loss with a band is slower and more gradual. You must adhere to a strict food plan. Gastric banding can be quite effective, but as with all bariatric surgeries, the results are dependent on the patient's continuous commitment. The flexibility to alter the band is appealing to some people, but only for the correct reasons.

Gastric bypass

The most well-known of the more complicated laparoscopic bariatric treatments is a bypass.

A gastric bypass is a more serious procedure. Patients who choose this type of surgery are typically significantly obese, with a BMI of greater than 35 or 40, and many of them have other weight-related diseases such as diabetes. Some of these other disorders are especially well addressed by the procedure.

Much of the stomach is stapled away, resulting in a reduced stomach "pouch" in which to eat. The small bowel is then reattached to the new pouch, completely bypassing the stomach and upper intestine. However, no stomach is removed.

A gastric bypass surgery is a long-term commitment. It alters how your intestines digest food and nutrients. For the rest of your life, you'll need to follow nutritional guidelines and take supplements. Eating the wrong foods can trigger dumping syndrome, which can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood sugar levels.

Sleeve gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy is the most recent of the more prevalent laparoscopic bariatric surgeries, and it is quickly becoming the most popular type of bariatric procedure in the UK.

A gastric sleeve is an irreversible treatment for persons with a BMI of 40 or higher (35 if they have weight-related disorders).

Much of the stomach is stapled and removed, leaving the patient with a tiny tube, or sleeve, instead of the normal big expanded stomach.

Your relationship with food will be forever changed. The parts of the stomach responsible for hunger and appetite are removed, so you may only eat a small amount of food and must adhere to a rigorous diet plan. However, because food is digested normally, there are fewer absorption concerns than with a bypass.