Bariatric Surgery is derived from the Greek words “weight” and “treatment”. Bariatric Surgeries are major gastrointestinal operations that seal off most of the stomach to reduce the amount of food one can eat and they rearrange the small intestine to reduce the calories the bodies can absorb. Weight loss operations fall into three categories. The first category is the Restrictive procedures make the stomach smaller to limit the amount of food intake. The second category is the Malabsorptive techniques reduce the amount of intestine that comes in contact with food so that the body absorbs fewer calories and the third category is a combination of the operations that employ both restriction and malabsorption.
There are several different types of Bariatric weight loss surgical procedures, but they are all collectively known as “bariatric surgery”. The surgical procedures fall into two categories which are Restrictive Operations and Gastric Bypass Operations. The two Restrictive Operations are known as Gastric Banding (Lap-Band) and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty. Gastric Bypass Operations include Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and DISTAL Gastric Bypass.
The Gastric Banding procedure performed by introducing a Gastric Band device through tiny incisions in the abdomen and it is then placed around the upper piece of the stomach. The resulting pouch dramatically reduces the functional capacity of the stomach. The band has a balloon from inside that is adjustable and can reduce stoma size. This prolongs the periods of fullness. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and lasts between thirty minutes to one hour. The Gastric Banding procedure has many advantages including no cutting of the stomach, no stapling of the stomach, calibrated pouch and stoma size, it can be adjusted to patients needs after surgery with no operation to adjust stoma, laparoscopic removal is possible, it is fully reversible and there is a short hospital stay following the procedure that does not exceed 48 hours.
The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) is done by making an incision in the upper abdomen that measures several inches. A circular window is made through the stomach a few inches below the esophagus. A surgical stapler is faded to create a cramped vertical pouch by putting a row of staples from window toward the esophagus. The pouch is carefully measured at the time of the surgery and will hold about one tablespoon of solid food. The next step involves a polypropylene band being placed through the window around the outlet of the pouch and it is secured to itself with stitches. The band controls the size of the outlet and keeps it from stretching. VBG limits the amount of food a patient can eat at one time. It works solely by restricting the amount a patient can eat, unlike the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and requires four or five days in the hospital.
The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the most current Gastric Bypass Surgery. The stomach is made smaller by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach using surgical staples or a plastic band. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle of the portion of small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and upper portion of the small intestine. This device requires a four to six day stay in the hospital or two to three days for the laparoscopic procedure. It is possible to return to normal activity three to five weeks after the surgery.
The DISTAL Gastric Bypass is performed by removing a portion of the stomach. The remaining small pouch is directly connected to the last portion of the exiguous intestine. There is a risk of nutritional deficiencies with this procedure. The procedure is intended for patients who are more than 200 pounds overweight. The operation adds malabsorption to restriction of intake. The stomach stapling component is the same as the standard procedure, the difference is the location of the distal connection of the intestine which is reconnected much closer to the colon.
Patients generally have more success with the Gastric Bypass Operations than the Restrictive procedures. The risks are similar for both the Gastric Bypass Operations and the Restrictive procedures, although the risk of nutritional deficiencies for iron, calcium and vitamin B-12 are higher in patients who undergo Gastric Bypass operations. There is also a risk of intestinal leaking. There is a possibility of the Gastric Bypass operations causing “dumping syndrome”. This is when food moves too mercurial through the small intestine. This causes nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness and sometimes diarrhea.
In 2003, 103,000 weight loss operations were performed. Every year that number increases. More and more people are using bariatric surgeries to deal with obesity. Although it seems like a fast draw to lose weight the risks need to be carefully evaluated.
Related Posts
Filed under Gastric Banding by on Apr 22nd, 2011. 
A lot of people that are morbidly obese elect to have a gastric bypass surgery. But this surgery does not reach without at least a few risks that you should be aware of. I’d like to point some of these out.
One of the dangers is Dumping Syndrome which is where the food doesn’t digest anymore, but just apt on through you, and can cause cramps, diarrhea, and the person to feel very unwell. This is one of the things you should be aware of before having gastric bypass surgery.
There is another danger known as Anastamotic leakage. This can be very unsafe since what happens is if the stomach and bowel are not sealed tightly enough so that there is no leakage, then a leakage will occur. What happens is that the fluid off from the intestines will leak out into the stomach. The person can then develop some serious infections and will probably need hospitalization to earn rid of it. Abcesses can also come up from this problem.
There is also a type of stricture that can manufacture known as anastamotic. This is due to the scar tissue growing back too much, and causing a hole so tiny, that the body will no longer have proper nourishment and starve. If this complication happens between the stomach and the bowel, then a procedure known as gastroendoscopy will need doing where the surgeon will region a balloon where the connecting link is between stomach and bowel to open it so food and nourishment can go through.
Since your stomach is obviously made much smaller, and can now only hold diminutive portions of foods, you may find that you are lacking nutrients. people that have had gastric bypass surgery in the past, have found that they are lacking in vitamin B12, iron, protein, and also the very important calcium needed for bone health. The absorption of these nutrients fails after this surgery many times, and as a result, you become undernourished and other medical conditions can result from lack of these vitamins. And the other drawback is, the essential vitamin D that is so needed by the body may fail to absorb too.
If your lines of staples break after this surgery, you run the risk of stomach ulcers which can bleed if not treated promptly, and gallstones too, which often cause pains.
This is the reason whywhen considering having gastric bypass surgery, you should think carefully and whether the benefits will outweigh the risks. Sometimes it is better to lose weight by trying to reduce food intake, and do it slowly. In gastric bypass surgery, if you don’t follow all of the guidlines for eating properly after having this done, this is most commonly when the complications I mentioned can set in. Weight can also come back a few years if you are not careful enough with your dietary regime.
Related Posts
Filed under Gastric Banding by on Oct 2nd, 2010.
If you are considering having gastric bypass surgery, I’m definite you want to know how mighty weight you can inquire of to lose and impartial how quickly you will lose it. It’s necessary to understand that each individual is different and will experience different results from the surgery. Some people will lose more than others, and some will lose more quickly than others.
There are a number of factors that influence how much weight we will lose, including our starting weight, our metabolism, how carefully we follow our doctor’s dietary guidelines after surgery, our activity level, whether or not we have any health conditions that can affect weight or metabolism (like diabetes or thyroid problems), certain medications we may be taking, the size of the stomach pouch our surgeon creates, and the amount of small intestine our surgeon bypasses. As you can see, some of these things are things we have some control over, like whether or not we follow our doctor’s dietary guidelines and how active we are. Other things, like whether or not we have thyroids problems and our metabolism, we can’t really control.
Studies have found that the average person loses about 60% of their excess body weight after a gastric bypass. That means if you are 100 pounds overweight, you could seek information from to lose about 60 pounds.
To calculate your excess body weight, first choose your ideal weight. You can obtain charts online that will give you the ideal weight for your height, or you can ask your doctor. Subtract that number from your current weight. That is the amount of weight you have to lose.
To calculate how considerable you might lose with gastric bypass surgery, get a calculator and multiply your excess weight by .6.
However, there are several things you should keep in mind while making your calculations. This is just an average, so that means some people lose significantly more than 60% while other lose significantly less. And there are plenty of things you can do to maximize your weight loss. Remember the factors I listed earlier? You have control over some of those things. You can settle to follow your doctor’s dietary guidelines. You can choose to exercise. If you take medications that affect your weight, ask your doctor if there are any alternative drugs you could try instead (there may or may not be).
Also talk to your surgeon about how big he or she will make your pouch and how that will affect your weight loss. One study found that a smaller pouch size was associated with greater weight loss. Ask your surgeon if he or she will be using a sizing balloon to size your pouch. Some surgeons use them and some don’t, but one study found that using a balloon helps get the pouch the right size and maximizes weight loss.
The same things that affect how much weight you will lose also affect how quickly you will lose. Most people lose most of their weight during the first 12 – 18 months after surgery. Those with the most to lose tend to lose the most quickly. Dr. Dirk Rodriguez of Cincinnati, Ohio, says that patients should expect to lose three to five pounds per week at first, and that weight loss will start to slow down after the first few months. However, some patients lose even more quickly than that at the beginning. You should also be aware that it is common to have a week or two (or longer) here and there when you don’t lose anything. It doesn’t mean you are done losing. Weight loss will start up again. Your body is just adjusting to the loss.
Sources:
Matthew Hoffman, MD. http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/what-is-gastric-bypass-surgery. What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery? Science Daily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915165816.htm. Factors Associated With Poor Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery Identified.
Related Posts
Filed under Gastric Banding by on Aug 9th, 2010.