Gastric Bypass Surgery Information

For many people, the option of choosing weight-loss surgery is very attractive — specially if they have a lot of weight to lose. A lot of people who take this route choose it because they have tried on many occasions to lose their excess weight by lots of different means. Some of which include diet, medication, and exercise. However, while weight-loss surgery can appear to be an attractive proposition, it can carry its own problems as well.

Any type of surgery involves risks. That includes the risks from both the procedure itself and the effects of anesthetic used. Ironically a person may be considered so overweight that the surgeon is reluctant to perform any type of surgery – they pose a high risk of dying on the operating table. This is the case if the person has health related issues such as high blood pressure or heart disease that can escalate quickly into an emergency.

There are also risks after the operation. Unfortunately, the danger is not past once the surgery is complete.

It is important that anyone who is considering weight-loss surgery perform due diligence and look at their options carefully. They should also choose their surgeon very carefully and thoroughly research them. A good surgeon can be found by word of mouth, but the prospective patient should do their homework anyway.

When it comes to choosing the actual type of surgery to be used, there are a couple of different surgical procedures. These include laparoscopic surgery – where the incisions made are very small (and carry less risk of side effects), or procedures such as a gastric bypass – which involves a much bigger wound.

After undergoing weight-loss surgery, patients are usually uncomfortable and in some degree of pain for several weeks while their wound heals. Also, for those first few weeks, they are only able to tolerate a liquid diet which is made up of vitamins, supplements, and other nutrients.

Normal food can only be added to the diet in small measures and has to be given carefully to avoid upsetting the patient’s digestive system – which is now very delicate. If not introduced carefully, then the person is liable to start vomiting or passing very loose stools.

One condition which some weight-loss surgery patients may be prone to is called “dumping”. This happens when food travels too quickly to the large intestine from the stomach. They then experience nausea, dizziness, loose stools, and some abdominal cramping. Unfortunately, dumping is quite common after weight-loss surgery. Especially if they have undergone a gastric bypass.

Eventually the stomach adapts to its new shape and, except for some minor problems, the person is able to adapt to their new style of eating. It is important, however, that those people who have undergone this type of surgery are aware of other side effects of their weight-loss surgery such as heartburn, indigestion, vomiting, stomach ulcers and dehydration. Weight-loss surgery has many consequences. Some of them are good and some of them are bad. It is important to consider all of them prior to deciding if surgery is the right thing for you.

Barbara Brown
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/weightloss-surgery-91588.html

I am 24 years old and had gastric bypass surgery 6 years and 7 months ago, i lost 200lbs and currently weigh 190lbs, I am 7 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I am just wondering if i need to see my surgeon along with my obgyn? Do i still have to take the Glucose test, even though it will definetly make me sick? Any help would be greatly appreciated, there isn’t much information about pregnancy after gastric bypass that i have found.

Congrats! I would speak with your obgyn and make sure they know that you had the surgery as past abdominal surgery can affect whether or not you need a C section. This probably won’t be the case for you, but I have read that past surgeries weaken the walls. However, you didn’t have surgery involving your uterus, so you should be fine. Just to be on the safe side, make sure you discuss it with your doctor. Also, do what you can to follow a healthy diet.

http://www.drchampion.com David Smith, a 40 year old weight loss surgery patient of Dr. JK Champion from Tennessee, Dr Champion of Videoscopic Institute of Atlanta, discusses the method for David’s laparoscopic surgery

Duration : 0:9:38

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Dr. Rutledge talks with a happy patient 1 year after Mini-Gastric Bypass surgery!!
Dr. Rutledge, Email: DrR@clos.net, Phone: 702-215-9550, Web: http://clos.net

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Just got my results back from the required endoscopy for the surgeon who I will see next week. Am I right to be dubitative or am I making too big a fuss over nothing? Thanks!!

It shouldn’t. Gastritis is any inflammation of the lining of the stomach. There are so many things that can cause this, it’ll be over before you get done reading this. A hiatal hernia is a protrusion of the upper part of the stomach into the esophagus through a tear or weakness of the diaphragm. These are usually the cause of acid reflux and/or indigestion. These shouldn’t upset your plans at all. If you already went through all the other qualifications okay, then these alone are fine. This condition is common among people that suffer from morbid obesity too. The biggest problems are with the heart and/or lungs. If these were already okay-ed then I think you are good to go. I hope that you’re excited about starting the next stage of your life. When you go out the doors after the procedure you’ll have a great helping hand to start you out with. Please make sure you have all the things you need when things start to get bad. Stress and sometimes leveling off periods might make you think you are unsuccessful. Try to start a daily diary and put down every calorie you put in your mouth. During times when you start to level off, these diary’s are handy to look through to see where you can cut down a little bit more. Try to find a friend as in AA does, someone like a buddy that you see in the office. Then see if you two can team up and depend on each other to go and get exercise, shopping, and weighing in too. These can all help you through. Family support is at the top of the list here too. Reaching your goal might take a very long time. You didn’t get that way overnight, and you can’t take it off fast either. Just find your pace and rely on the bariatric meetings to help you through it all too. Good luck and God Bless

Gastric bypass surgery is a surgery used to reduce the volume of your stomach. It is one of two different surgeries that can accomplish a reduction in stomach volume; the other is known as gastric banding. A gastric bypass is the most common form of this type of surgery, as it has the proven ability to reduce weight faster. However, it should be noted that banding can be more easily reversed. After having this type of bypass surgery, the maximum capacity of your stomach is about 30 ml. It is imperative that after this surgery is performed that you reduce your food intake and begin to chew your food more thoroughly on each bite.

Some of the known benefits to this type of surgery are significant weight loss and the drastic reversal of sleep apnea and Type II diabetes. Unfortunately, each participant for a gastric bypass should be aware that there are some risks. A few of these risks, which are very uncommon, are failure of the respiratory system, bleeding, and staple leaking.

During all gastric surgeries, what occurs is that a new stomach is created, as a smaller size, from a series of staples in line with each other. They are then connected through a looping method to the small bowel. The typical amount of time that passes during this surgery is only about two hours. Most forms of this procedure are performed through what is known as laparoscopy. This is where instead of a large incision through the abdomen, there are several small cuts made, and a video camera is used to see inside. This creates less post-operation stress, pain, and leads to a faster recovery.

With all gastric bypass surgery procedures, you should plan on a brief hospital stay of two to three days. It is also possible that your absence from work range from three to six weeks in some cases. It will take a few days after you leave the hospital for your body to adjust itself properly to the operation, a time during which you will feel a bit discomforted, and will probably not wish to eat solid foods.

Not everyone is a candidate for this surgery. In order to fit the mold to have this surgery, you will need to have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, which is well into the obese range. This number can be lowered to 35 if you have other contributing health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. A gastric procedure such as this should only be used as a last resort when dieting and exercising have not given you results. The cost of this surgery can be in the range of $25,000-$50,000.

Susan Fielding
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/a-true-understanding-of-gastric-bypass-surgery-79268.html

Gastric banding is a relatively new form of weight loss surgery first pioneered in Sweden in 1985 with the band being designed initially to be fitted using open surgery. The first laparoscopic surgery for the insertion of a gastric band was performed in France in 2000 and a year later in 2001 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of an American adjustable gastric banding system for use in the United States. Since then gastric banding has grown rapidly in popularity.

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is a form of restrictive gastric bypass surgery which many surgeons are beginning to favor as it avoids many of the nutritional problems associated with malabsorption surgeries. It also involves no cutting or stapling of the stomach and this, combined with the fact that the procedure can be performed laparoscopically, means that the death rate from surgery is about one-tenth of that seen in the widely used open Roux-en-Y form of surgery.

From the patient’s point of view the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band means a relatively short stay in hospital and a quick recovery. Once in place the band can also be adjusted without further surgery so that the surgeon has much greater control of patient management in the critical weeks following surgery, making it possible to react quickly and easily to problems which the patient might experience.

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure is also fully reversible and, after removal of the band, the stomach will return to its normal pre-operative state.

As with most restrictive forms of surgery weight loss tends to be less dramatic than in malabsorption or combination surgeries and patients have to work a little bit harder in the early months following surgery to achieve a satisfactory rate of weight loss. However, because weight loss is not quite so easy and patients have to learn a strict set of eating habits, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery tends to produce better long-term results and weight stability.

It is interesting to note that in Australia the vast majority of weight loss surgeries (over 90%) now involve the use of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. It is also significant that in one reported Australian study involving 2700 morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery not one single death has been reported which can be directly attributed to the surgery. This compares with Roux-en-Y surgery where, in a group of the same size, the average expected number of deaths would be in the region of 13 patients.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery, like any other form of surgery, is not without its risks and complications and it would incorrect to conclude from this brief introduction to the procedure that it is a simple and routine procedure. Indeed, it is far from an easy option. Nevertheless, in comparison to the other forms of weight loss surgery available, it does represent an attractive option for many people who are contemplating surgery.

Donald Saunders
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/laparoscopic-surgery-the-adjustable-gastric-band-69566.html

I had my first post-op follow-up today and everything went great. Find out my weight loss so far, my crushes, and some info that I got from the dietician about protein, Omega 3s, and hair loss.

Duration : 0:6:54

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This video was created and uploaded 16 months after I had gastric bypass surgery. I think this collection of photos will provide you with evidence that this procedure can and does work if/when it is used as a stepping stone to leading a healthy lifestyle.

Song was used with permission by Narciso Lobo

“Stay Up, Stay Lifted” by: seeso with DPG35000

Subscribe to seeso here:

http://www.youtube.com/seeso

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Please contact me (watchmegetskinny@gmail.com) if you have any questions about my journey.

“I remember where I was, therefore I know where I am headed.” A.J. 09/29/2009

EDIT: Our dog “Geovany” (female) is a Havaton.
Coton De Tulear / Havanese Hybrid
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/h/havaton.htm

Duration : 0:4:15

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I have an appointment tomorrow to go see a surgeon about getting a gastric bypass surgery. I’ve been overweight for most of my life and have tried just about every diet on the planet but without much success. I am really looking forward to seeing the surgeon about a Gastric Bypass. There is no cost for me (we are military) so that is not a factor. They will even do body lifts after the weight is lost.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the procedure. Was it a good thing for you or bad? Was it worth it? What can I expect? I’ve done lots of research on the web but hearing from real people is so different!
Yes, I have always exercised.. it’s kinda goes along with the whole dieting thing. to diet and not exercise is just stupid. I was walking 4 milesa day and doing weights but would still only lose a small amount of weight over a period of months and then just stop losing period.
Thank you all! You’ve got some really great opinions and ideas. I’m not worried about the surgery itself..the surgeon we have here is a leader in the field of Gastirc Bypass and has done many of them. I know all the risks involved.

Been there.

I had it about 5 years ago when I was 50. I lost 195 pounds in a year and a half.

You said all the right things when you said you were overweight most of your life and had tried a lot of diets. I don’t approve of it for people who gained weight in adulthood and don’t want to diet.

You may not have any choice if you are in the military of the type of surgery you have, but if you do, go for the duodenal switch. It has fewer complications. You should also have it done by laparoscope or partially by laparoscope to minimize the incisions, if there is any choice. Big incisions make it hard to move after surgery, and you really need to move to prevent complications. If you still have your gallbladder, it should be removed at the same time because weight loss causes gallstones.

I am going to tell you the bad parts about this surgery, because you need to know what you are going to live with if you have it. Your stools will be greasy and foul-smelling for the rest of your life. You will have more intestinal gas than you had before, and it is foul, too. Your hair will probably get thin in the first year, although it will probably grow back later. You will probably get acne in the first year. You will probably have to give up carbonated beverages for life (they aren’t dangerous after your stomach heals, but give you gas because you don’t belch naturally). You will probably be lactose intolerant after surgery, which may or may not improve. You will have to take special vitamins for the rest of your life. You will have to have a lot of protein in your diet for the rest of your life. If you have the RNY type of surgery, you will not be able to eat things with a lot of sugar in them. If you eat a lot of fatty foods, you will get diarrhea. Plastic surgery to remove extra skin helps, but may never look natural. The kind of tummy tuck they do after major weight loss, which involves tightening ligaments as well as cutting off skin, is major surgery with a huge incision. Any surgery in an obese person carries a high risk because anesthesia in obese person is dangerous, and because they do not walk or breathe as easily after surgery as normal persons.

Now the good part. The weight loss is effortless and fast. Expect up to 30 pounds in the first month. Most people can get within 20-30 pounds of their ideal weight, and some reach perfection. It seems impossible to eat at first, but your stomach will expand. If you have the duodenal switch, you can eat normal-sized meals after a couple of years. You can eat things that used to make you feel guilty. If you have type II diabetes, it will probably go away. If you have hypertension, it will probably go away. If you have high cholesterol, you can be pretty much guaranteed it will go away (mine was 250 before, 130 after). If you have sleep apnea, it will probably go away. You will start feeling light and energetic.

My surgeon required that we attend support groups hosted by his office before the surgery, so I had no surprises. I met dozens of people who had had the surgery, and not one of them regretted it. Not one.

Some advice on eating after surgery. They tell you to eat a lot of proteins, and this is important so you lose fat instead of muscle. It is hard to fit a lot of protein in a small stomach. I refer to the four food groups as meat, eggs, cheese, and nuts. They tell you to stay away from milk at first, but cheese is okay because the lactose in it has been fermented out. Same with yogurt. Cottage cheese usually has milk added to it after it is fermented, so it is iffy.

I am giving you a link to my surgeon’s website that has diagrams of the different types of surgery. There are a lot of other things on the website you might find interesting.

Good luck.