Is Gastric Bypass Surgery Right For You
With obesity on the rise today, many are looking at surgery as a snappy means to lose weight and to prefer care of health problems related to being overweight. Gastric bypass surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a drastic surgery done to help befriend obese people in weight loss. Since unusual technologies for this surgery has been developed, making it less painful, and cutting healing time in half, this surgery has increased in popularity. Surgery increases were 450% between 1998 and 2002, going from 12,775 to 70,256. In 2004 the number of surgeries were estimated to be about 171,200.
Gastric bypass surgery is done laproscopically, in most cases. The physician creates a petite pouch at the top of the stomach and adds a bypass around a segment of your small intestines. Your stomach is then stabled across the top, sealing it off from the rest of your stomach. The end result of the new stomach pouch is about that size of a walnut and can hold about an ounce of food.
This surgery is not for everyone, nor does everyone seeking this drastic surgery qualify. It is only for the extremely obese. There are certain criteria that a person must meet in order to get the gastric bypass surgery done. Some of the criteria for surgery are: 1. You must have a body mass index of 40. 2. You must have a body index of 30 or higher. 3. You must be 90 lbs overweight or more. 4. You have been obese for at least 5 years. 5. You have tried all other methods to lose weight.
There are advantages to having this surgery, the most obvious is losing weight and feeling healthy. Before many have the surgery they are usually plagued with a number of health issues from high blood pressure to diabetes. Many are on several medications to control these illnesses. After surgery many see a major improvement with their health problems. 80% of patients, within 2-3 months after surgery, will manufacture normal cholesterol levels and lower blood pressures. 90% of patients, who had type-two diabetes, will obtain excellent results within a few days after surgery. Some patients will even become medication free.
There are health risks as well when having gastric bypass surgery. Lung problems can occur by lack of motion of the chest wall. Deep breathing and lung exercises can prevent this. Another risk would be leakage of bowel connections. This happens when the connection of the bowel to the original stomach does not form a complete seal. This can become a serious complication. Everyone takes a risk, but the outcome to be thinner and healthier outweighs the risk for most people.
I was able to interview Jennifer who under went gastric bypass surgery about a year ago and here is what she said:
Dawn: Have you always had weight problems?
Jennifer: I have been overweight since I was 7 years old. Got worse when I hit puberty and kept getting worse!
Dawn: What diets/pills have you tried? Did they ever work?
Jennifer: I was on Weight Watchers when I was in junior high and did ok on that. I also took phen/fen and lost weight with that but then it was pulled because of causing heart problems and I ended up with some problems from taking that. I also would go on Atkin’s Diet and would lose some, but not much.
Dawn: Did you have any medical problems before surgery that were directly related to weight?
Jennifer: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, Edema in my feet and ankles, Infertility, Insufficient Aortic Valve, Mitral Valve Prolapse.
Dawn: How did you learn of gastric bypass surgery?
Jennifer: From the news on TV at first, then researched it on the Internet.
Dawn: Did you research the pros and cons of gastric by-pass?
Jennifer: I researched it on the Internet, through other people that had had it…I read a lot of online journals and joined some online support groups, and then did more research through my doctor.
Dawn: What finally lead you to the decision to get the surgery done?
Jennifer: It was getting harder and harder to maintain up with 2nd graders and I wasn’t as good of a teacher as I had been…didn’t have enough energy and my feet and ankles would swell everyday. I also want to have a baby and knew that I couldn’t accept pregnant at that weight and wouldn’t be able to care for a baby at that weight…no energy.
Dawn: What emotions were you feeling the day of surgery?
Jennifer: I was very scared…it was my first surgery ever…never had a broken bone, stitches, or been in the hospital before, but I was a woman on a mission. When I look back on it, I was given strength by God, that is the only scheme I can explain it because I don’t see how I went through with it if God wasn’t there making it happen…if that makes sense.
Dawn: After your surgery did you have any complications? How long did it grasp you to heal?
Jennifer: After my surgery the worst thing that happened was a horrible period that lasted about a week…super painful…worst cramps ever, but since then, my periods have become less painful and a lot lighter and shorter. I haven’t really had any side effects. I can’t take aspirin, steroids, or anti inflammatories anymore so that is hard because I can’t take Advil when I was used to taking a lot of that. Those meds can cause stomach ulcers, which is why post ops can’t choose those meds. It took about 7 days for my stomach to stop feeling tender. I still have scars where my incisions were, but no pain at all. I have to take vitamin supplements daily to help me with nutrition.
Dawn: What foods can you eat and not eat?
Jennifer: I have a hard time with bread because it is so soft. I also can’t eat a lot of sweets and ice cream makes me sick. Pecan pie on Thanksgiving made me extremely ill. Carbonated drinks design me feel yucky. I can drink sweet tea ok, but usually drink water. I had trouble with chicken for a while but now can eat that. I do well with soups, moist meat, fruit, vegetables, crackers, chips, beef, and seafood. I haven’t found anything that I can’t have just a small amount of it. I have done really well since the surgery.
Dawn: What was your starting weight before surgery?
Jennifer: 313 lbs
Dawn: How much weight have you lost?
Jennifer: 100 pounds
Dawn: What is your goal weight?
Jennifer: 150-ish
Dawn: Would you recommend this surgery to others?
Jennifer: YES! And I would recommend my doctor…Dr. JK Champion at the Videoscopic Institute of Atlanta. He does surgery at Emory Dunwoody Hospital.
Dawn: If you had to do it again, would you?
Jennifer: In a heartbeat!
If you are thinking of getting gastric bypass surgery, understand the pros and cons of having it done. Research and weigh the risks. Talk to others who have had it done as well as a bariatric surgeon. In the end it’s up to the individual and what is going to make them happy and healthy.
Related Posts
Filed under Bariatric Surgery by on Feb 16th, 2011. 