| Bariatric Surgery |
| Written by Henry Johnson | |
Bariatric gastric bypass surgery the road to recovery from obesityLet’s face the truth, dieting doesn’t always work. You can try all the gimmicks in the world and have the discipline of a monk, but for some folks it’s just not meant to be. Unfortunately, obesity isn’t just a matter of physical vanity. It can result in life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and other potentially fatal problems.The failure of dieting trends to meet your needs doesn’t have to be the end of your dreams of a thinner, healthier and happier you, however. Thanks to modern medical science, bariatric gastric bypass surgery provides folks struggling with their weight with a safe, easy option to help them lose weight and combat other obesity related health problems. For patients who are willing to make a few lifestyle changes, it’s a winner. Bariatric gastric bypass surgery was first developed and used in 1967 and has been refined since then. In 2005, 140,000 U.S. residents underwent the procedure. The operation has been embraced by many celebrities with well-publicized struggles with their weight and has resulted in many success stories. Big stars who have had bariatric gastric bypass surgery include: Star Jones, Al Roker, Roseanne Barr, and Blues Traveler frontman John Popper. The operation is recommended for patients who are 90 pounds or more overweight, and/or have serious medical complications that can be aided by substantial weight reduction. Candidates for the surgery should be willing to make certain changes to their diet, including a ban on carbonated drinks and reduced portion sizes. To be considered for the surgery, many physicians require that patients:
The doctor then staples the patient’s stomach at the top, blocking it from the remainder of the patient’s stomach. The resulting pouch is tiny and can hold only about an ounce of food or less. After finishing this, the doctor then cuts the small intestine and stitches part of it onto the pouch. This bypass redirects food, causing it to go around the stomach and the first section of the patient’s small intestine, called the duodenum. Thanks to the bypass, food enters directly into the jejunum, the second part of the small intestine. This has the effect of limiting the patient’s ability to absorb calories. The surgery is done under general anesthesia, meaning patients aren’t awake and don’t feel a thing. Generally, doctors administer gas or anesthesia via an IV line. Altogether the surgery takes about four hours. Following the surgery, patients are forbidden to eat for one to three days so the stomach can recover. After that, patients must follow a diet that gradually increases their food intake over a period of about 12 weeks, beginning with liquids, moving to soft foods like pudding and finally to normal meals. Because patients’ stomach size has been greatly reduced, they’ll need to eat small meals for starters. Eat too much and they may suffer from vomiting or intense discomfort around the chest area. The permanent result is that the stomach shrinkage reduces the amount of food patients can eat and makes them feel full after eating very small meals. Like all surgeries, bariatric gastric bypass surgery carries some risks. The mortality rate is about one in 300 and possible complications include: blood clots in the leg, hernia, leaking in the stomach staple lines, and dumping syndrome, a condition where stomach contents move too swiftly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. Bariatric gastric bypass surgery can have some adverse early side effects after the operation is completed. Some patients have reported feelings of depression, as the role of food has changed in their lives. The strict limitations the surgery places on patients food intake forces them to reconsider the role food has played as an emotional comfort in their lives. However, these effects are short-term in nature and can be mitigated or avoided altogether if patients have a strong support network of friends and family. Some physical side effects of bariatric gastric bypass surgery include low energy and feelings of fatigue as patients adjust to lower food intake. These feelings should subside as food intake upticks gradually over the months following the surgery. A possible long-term impact of the surgery is a deficiency in iron, calcium, magnesium, or vitamins. These shortfalls can lead to problems such as osteoporosis. To mitigate the impact of vitamin and mineral deficiencies resulting from the surgery, patients may need to work out a diet plan with a dietitian or take dietary supplements. Some patients develop gallstones after gastric bypass, requiring the removal of the gallbladder. Other patients can get by with taking gallbladder medication, however. After the surgery, patients can expect to lose at least a third of their excess bodyweight and even more if they closely follow the suggested diet their doctors create for them. The surgery is the push out of the nest, it’s up to the patient to fly. Other long-term benefits of bariatric gastric bypass surgery include:
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