When you suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes, it can be difficult to know where to turn. Many doctors will recommend gastric bypass surgery to help manage your weight and control your blood sugar, but few Americans can afford the many thousands of dollars required for surgery, recovery, and related costs of the procedure. Despite the proven health benefits, many insurance agencies refuse to fund it, effectively denying care to thousands. Although several new studies have recently emerged indicating that providing gastric bypass operations would be more cost effective for insurance companies than the cost of maintenance treatment for obesity and diabetes over time insurance companies show no signs of making significant changes in policy.
In this article, we will explore the new option that brings quality gastric bypass surgery (along with many other procedures) to the people who need it most -- those going abroad for medical care. We will explore the benefits of weight loss surgery in Mexico, where U.S.-trained doctors have opened practices and charge only a fraction of what their U.S. counterparts would demand. But first, we will look in depth at the benefits of gastric bypass surgery itself, examining its beneficial effect on type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and many other dangerous health problems.
Obesity, Diabetes, And Gastric Bypass
There is a common misconception that weight is dictated purely by willpower -- either you stay on a diet, or your willpower fails, you lose control, and you become overweight, and then eventually obese. However, medical science has proven time and again that willpower and, in fact, dieting is not necessarily correlated with weight. Science now recognizes the significant impact genetics and other factors completely outside our control have on the way our bodies function.
Because of these characteristics, it may be impossible for some men and women to lose weight through dieting, making bariatric surgery a medical necessity. If left untreated, obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for a host of problems later in life, making management and treatment of the disease a paramount concern. Bariatric surgery evolved to help those whose bodies will not respond to diet and exercise alone. Gastric bypass is one of many surgical options for obesity treatment, and one of the most commonly recommended. It has been shown to work for people, whose bodies simply do not respond to diets, sharply reducing body mass and maintaining weight loss in the long term.
Although the main purpose of gastric bypass is to reduce weight, patients who have the procedure almost always see a corresponding drop in blood pressure. Diabetes has been known to all but disappear after the weight loss, making management of the condition much easier or even unnecessary. In addition, other symptoms whose causes may not have been apparent, such as a general lethargy or unexplained malaise, often disappear. Overall health improves as a result of the surgery, and patients are generally highly pleased with the results.
Obesity Surgery In The USA
How did the cost for these lifesaving treatments come to be so high in America? There is not one clear answer. Some blame frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits, which have scared doctors into taking on huge insurance policies which in turn drive up prices for patients. But more than that, insurance companies have a huge ability to control the market, creating an incentive to charge "insurance prices" rather than what an individual customer can pay.
Yet with a surgery like gastric bypass, insurance companies typically consider it an "optional" elective procedure, and refuse to cover this surgery. Due to the high demand of many Americans need gastric bypass surgery, prices continue to stay inflated, thereby limiting access to many that need the benefits provided by surgical weight loss.
Weight Loss Surgery In Mexico
As healthcare costs in the USA continue to rise more people have begun seeking medical care outside of the nation's borders. Many doctors who practice in other countries have been trained in the USA and can provide the same standard of care that you would get at your local obesity specialist or clinic. However, what doctors performing weight loss surgery in Mexico don't have is the same operating costs. In every other way they are identical to their counterparts in the USA, but they are simply able to offer their services for less.
This makes weight loss surgery in Mexico a great choice for anyone who needs the lifesaving benefits of gastric bypass. Of course, selecting a clinic for weight loss surgery in Mexico needs to be done with care: it's the same process you'd follow to ensure you get the best surgeon in your area. And once you put in the time and make a researched, educated choice, you'll be able to get the quality medical care you need at a price you can afford.
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