If you are ready to take control and improve your quality of life, you might be considering weight loss surgery, specifically gastric bypass surgery. During gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon will craft a small pouch that attaches to the small intestine. The procedure helps the patient lose weight, improve their overall health, lower their blood pressure, and enjoy a new lease on life. Here are a few of the most common myths and misconceptions associated with gastric bypass surgery.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Means You Don't Have to Diet and Exercise

One of the biggest myths surround gastric bypass is that it is the easy way out because you can lose weight without months or years of dieting and exercise. In reality, your procedure will fundamentally change how and what you eat. After your procedure, you will need to eat much smaller meals to not only allow your stomach to heal, but also ensure that your stomach does not stretch and undo the procedure.

Just like a typical diet and exercise plan, to lose weight with gastric bypass surgery, you will need to eat less, eat healthier, drink plenty of water, and exercise to ensure that the weight you lose is done so in the healthiest way possible.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Is Not Covered by Your Insurance

Depending upon where you live and your insurance provider, your gastric bypass surgery might be covered under your health insurance plan. Talk to your insurance provider to determine if the surgery is covered and the steps you will need to take to receive coverage for your procedure.

For example, some insurance providers will only cover gastric bypass surgery for individuals who have tried to lose weight through other methods in the past but have been unsuccessful. Your insurance provider might only cover individuals with a certain body mass index, or BMI, in addition to certain obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Will Leave Behind a Huge Scar

Finally, the potential for a noticeable scar might be keeping you from scheduling your gastric bypass surgery. In the past, this operation was an open procedure, meaning the surgeon needed to create a large incision. Today, most gastric bypass procedures are performed laparoscopically with the camera and specialized tools, which minimizes the size of the incisions.

Gastric bypass surgery is a common procedure that can help improve the quality of your life. If you have any other questions about weight loss surgery like a gastric bypass procedure, don't hesitate to talk to a doctor.