|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Menopause & Belly Surgery

According to the medical health website Medline Plus, menopause is the time of life when a woman's fertility is at its end. This typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and brings with it a host of symptoms due to the changing hormonal environment in the body. When menopause is coupled with unwanted or uncontrolled weight gain, surgical procedures can be used.

  1. Menopause

    • Menopause is brought on by the gradual reduction in hormone production by the ovaries. As levels of female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) decline, the body begins to exhibit symptoms, which can vary in severity between individuals. While the actual process of menopause can take more than 5 years, the symptoms are typically worst during the first 2 years of the process.

    Symptoms

    • The most common symptoms experienced by women going through menopause include the following: rapid heartbeat, night sweats and hot flashes. According to the Mayo Clinic, weight gain during and after menopause tends to accumulate on the stomach, as opposed to around the hips and thighs.

    Liposuction

    • Surgical liposuction is one possible solution to the increased level of abdominal fat following menopause. During liposuction, fat cells are actually vacuumed out of the body by a surgeon. Unlike dieting and exercise, liposuction completely removes fat cells from the body, providing a fairly permanent solution to the problem of weight gain from menopause.

    Bariatric Surgery

    • Bariatric surgery is another form of "belly" surgery that can be used to curb menopause-related weight gain for individuals who have reached more extreme levels of obesity. During bariatric surgery, the stomach is artificially reduced in size, preventing the patient from overeating. This will place a ceiling on the number of calories that can be consumed per day, resulting in quick and efficient weight loss.

    Considerations

    • Remember that in addition to surgical procedures, diet and exercise should be your first "go-to" weapons against the symptoms of menopause. Sticking to a healthy diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean cuts of meat can help maintain your weight with or without reliance on surgical procedures. Although surgery can complement diet and exercise, without learning healthy eating habits, the efficacy of these operations cannot be optimized.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles