A problem that we have in America that is hardly found anywhere else in the world is obesity. On one hand, it’s a nice problem to have because it’s a huge factor that we’re well-fed and not starving for the most part. On the other hand, the superficial aspect of our society puts a lot of pressure on overweight people to fit a certain body type. A result of this pressure is a demand for cosmetic surgery designed for weight loss.
Other than apperance, obesity is also linked to a slew of health complications. Naturally, you would think that there would be something the medical field would be able to do about such a wide-spread plight such as obesity, and you would be apt. Depending on the level of obesity and other factors, there are many types of non-cosmetic surgeries that can be performed, and here we’re going to explore some of them.
There are two main techniques for weight loss surgery. The first is a malabsorptive procedure which is based on creating a situation where nutrients are absorbed less in the intestinal tract. Obviously if your body isn’t absorbing food as it normally would, there will be weight loss. The second is referred to as a restrictive procedure, and this kind of surgery reduces the size of the stomach. Combinations of these two techniques are weak as well.
Malabsorptive procedures like the Scopinaro procedure basically aim to connect the stomach farther down in the intestines than where it normally is. This has the effect of skipping part of the digestive tract, so that food is not absorbed as much. These types of procedures are rarely done now, however, due to complications and health risks. Patients undergoing this type of surgery were often having too much malnourishment than desired, resulting in more health issues than obesity itself would have posed on it’s own.
Restrictive procedures are much more popular than malabsorptive procedures and are typically remarkable safer. The most well-known of these types of surgeries are vertical banded gastroplasty (or more commonly known as stomach stapling) and an adjustable gastric band. The gastric band is basically an adjustable thing that tightens your stomach and gastric tubes to acquire you feel like you’re full earlier in your meals before the stomach is able to stretch out to hold more food.
A new technology that is being tested in the United States now is an implantable gastric stimulator, which works similar to a pacemaker. The idea is that a surgeon will put a small device on the external surface of the stomach. This device has electrical leads which carries electrical stimulation which is thought to modify the activity of the nervous system of the stomach, which results in the brain thinking that you are full. You actually feel like you are pudgy before you are completely stout, reducing your perceived need to eat which also helps with weight loss.
Weight loss surgery is a delicate big deal, and should not be taken likely. Surgery is really considered to be a last resort to help with what diet and exercise alone cannot take care of. As with all health concerns, you should talk to your doctor if you’re considering weight loss surgery, and take his or her advice seriously. While weight loss surgery is not the “cure all” absolute answer for weight loss, it can help if you can’t get there on your have.
References:
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_Loss_Surgery
Related Posts
Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Nov 8th, 2010. 
There are millions of obese, and even morbidly obese people, in the world today. And many of these obese people turn to surgery to befriend them on their quest for help. Over 170,000 people in the United States alone had gastric bypass of lap band surgery in the last year. Some people may consider this a very drastic step in the quest for a slender body. Others look it as a last hope for a normal life. But even when desperation sets in, there are still other answers for obese people.
Weight Loss Surgery General Information
Gastric bypass surgery is a major, invasive surgery that will be performed under general anesthesia. In this weight loss surgery, your stomach and intestines are actually permanently rearranged. This is often referred to as “stomach stapling.” This surgery is usually irreversible and does carry the risk of severe complications and death.
There is also a newer, less invasive, surgery known as Lap Band. This surgery is done lapriscopically and is completely reversible. This procedure consists of placing an inflatable band around the upper portion of the stomach and a port under the skin. Sterile saline solution is injected through the skin into the port, thus tightening the band.
Both surgeries are intended to reduce the amount of food that can be put into the stomach before achieving a full feeling. They are both expensive tools to help with weight loss for obese people, not complete solutions to eternal health and thinness. If an obese person’s attitude and habits with food do not change, the surgery will not work.
Alternate Methods of Losing Weight
Ultimately, the secret to losing weight is using more calories than you consume. This is a very simplified version, of course, and there may be other factors such as disease, medications, genetics, and other problems that many obese people have. The first step, therefore, is consulting your doctor.
If you are otherwise in good health, you must adopt a lower calorie and increased nutritional diet in order to get rid of your obesity. You must also do some sort of exercise. Most obese people already know this.
In order to actually implement these changes, there are a few things that obese people should know:
1. Weight loss journals can help you.
2. Support groups increase your chance of success.
3. You can eat a lot more calories than you consider.
4. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous.
5. Weight loss is 95% mental.
In order for an obese person to finish healthy weight loss, the most important thing they can do is change their attitude and habits concerning food. Attend groups, family and friends, doctors, nutritionists, and therapists and counselors can all help.
Special considerations for morbidly obese people.
While implementing diet and activity changes are definitely satisfactory for even morbidly obese people, it may be a fact that the surgery, however risky, is essential to save their life. A doctor can best determine if the surgery is an absolute immediate medical necessity.
Weight loss surgery is a popular diagram for dealing with obesity in the world today. There are, however, alternatives to such drastic and uncertain medical procedures. One must understand that causes of obesity before it can be dealt with. Surgery is not the only answer for obese people.
Related Posts
Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Nov 3rd, 2010.
- Lap Band surgery provides for a reversible surgical weight loss option
- Lap Band surgery limits the quantity of food ingested
- Lap Band surgery may not improve the obesity of emotional eaters.
Surgical intervention, in the practice of weight loss, is growing in popularity and demand. For many obese patients, determining the right reach to weight loss can be challenging and, often, frustrating. With unique body responses, each with a unique metabolic response, one weight loss process may work for one individual but does not necessarily work well for another. Understanding surgical weight loss options, such as Lap Band surgery, the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the risk factors, will aid an obese individual in making a more well informed weight loss decision.
During the surgical weight loss procedure, Lap Band, a small pouch is created within the stomach. The concept of Lap Band Surgery lies in the constriction of the stomach, reducing the capacity to hold more than a specific quantity of food, thereby reducing the number of calories the obese individual consumes, ultimately leading to weight loss. Using a stoma, the stomach is reduced in size through a tightening of the band thereby also creating a prolonged feeling of fullness. As needed, the stoma can be adjusted to allow for a greater or decreased food capacity as warranted by the obese patient’s health needs.
For patients undergoing the Lap Band surgical procedure, the obvious first advantage lies within the principal weight loss. Additionally, because the stoma is adjustable, as time progresses, the amount of food intake can be adjusted to the dietary needs of the patient. The surgery is completely reversible and requires no permanent stapling of the stomach lining. With weight loss realized within the first few days following surgery, many patients are then motivated to seek out employ routines and find a new rejuvenation as the consumption of calories decreases, thereby increasing the total weight loss.
As with most weight loss surgeries, the Lap Band procedure does carry disadvantages. Of most primary disadvantage is the inability of the patient to take the number of calories as was consumed prior to surgery. For emotional eaters, this lack of dependence upon food consumption can lead to additional emotional disorders such as depression and horror. Additionally, the decreased abiltiy to purchase massive quantities of calories leaves many patients struggling to make important food choices. With less food ingested, the obese patient must be definite to consume the right types of foods so as to ensure proper health is maintained
As with any weight loss surgical procedures, complications and risks are celebrated and may include infection, abnormal bleeding and ineffective weight loss results. When considering a weight loss surgical procedure, such as Lap Band, consult a nutritionist and fitness counselor regarding other possible health and weight loss options. In addition to nutrition and fitness counseling, a visit with a psychologist or social worker, specializing in eating disorders, may be appropriate to ensure the proper mindset is in place when preparing for a Lap Band procedure.
For more information regarding Lap Band procedures, visit www.obesitylapbadsurgery.com.
Related Posts
Filed under stomach stapling side effects by on Nov 2nd, 2010.
Seven years ago I gathered all of my courage and all of my dreams and had Gastric by-pass surgery. It was the winter of the new millenium and things were in an expectant state with people not knowing if the Y-2K bug would end civilization as we know it. For those of you who don’t remember what that particular illness was, it would render all of our computer based civilization helpless.It was a time of great uncertainty. I bought extra batteries, flashlights and bottled water, paid all of my bills and wrote a last will and testament, then plunged ahead with my plans to become slimmer than a fashion model.
I had been overweight most of my life and, after having had my four children, those pounds just would not stay gone. I had dieted numerous times, and even liquid diets with high protein shakes were included. I lost weight, plenty of weight. In fact, I probably lost the weight of a small starving village in Africa, only to rep the weight plus a few more pounds each time. How I yearned to unbiased be normal. Imagine how I would notice in all of those clothes in the magazines? How tired I grew of the remarks, the giggles, and the stares when I would venture out into the neighborhood to buy groceries or just benefit school functions with my kids. My kids just defended me and loved me anyhow while I’m sure wishing that I looked like Angelina Jolie in a swimsuit.
Eventually I found myself in my early fifties, with grown children yearning to have a life of my own. I tried loving myself just the way I was. It didn’t work, I guess. I spent most of my time eating and feeling guilty for eating. Guilt is an obese person’s number one companion. I tried dating. My marriage of seventeen years had ended ten years previously, not because of my obesity but because we had both moved in different directions. I tried meeting men at church. I met some really nice men who mostly became capable friends and not boyfriend material. I was lonely and wanted to find someone to want me for me, and not for what I looked like. It didn’t happen. I eventually tried internet dating and things would go great until I would meet the man in person. He would look at me or I would look at him and we both aggreed to let it go at that. I needed to do something to gain a handle on my life. I started hearing about miraculous results from a surgery called Gastric by-pass surgery. One of my best friends who had struggled with a weight problem her whole life underwent the surgery in the late 80′s and her weight fell from her body. She seemed to melt. Her cheek bones started surfacing and she could actually fit into a pair of jeans. How I envied her. I didn’t know much about the price she paid for her svelte new self! I didn’t realize that she could only eat a tablespoon or so of soft food. No steak for her. Not for a long-long while. I decided that this current miracle was for me.
I petitioned my doctor, who had treated me for countless obesity related conditions. Together we decided to try to catch my H.M.O. to agree to the expensive way. I was establish through physical and psychological testing. I was poked and prodded and asked if I was sure I knew what I was doing. Of course I did. I was going to become a mere shadow of my mature self. Someone who might live happily ever after. Isn’t that what we all strive for? I received a call from my doctor in September telling me that I had been approved for the procedure. I had only to be placed on the schedule and squawk with a dietician. I saw the dietician ( a woman who never weighed more than 100 pounds in her life), in early December and was asked if I knew that my eating habits would severely change. I knew that of course. I knew, but really had no actual idea! My surgery was scheduled for the 5th of January, 2000. What a day to start a new life!
My daughter drove me to the hospital early on the cold January morning while the sky was still dismal and twinkling with stars. I could scarecly breathe, my anxiety was so extreme. I am not a doughty person anyhow and this was major surgery. I received my anesthesia and felt nothing for the next six hours. Due to my nurse’s training I had asked that all tubes be placed after I was asleep. That was the one obliging decision I made. I awoke with what felt like an elephant sitting on my chest. I tried to pull some air into my lungs but shallow breaths were all that I could lift. No one had bothered telling me that because of the proximity of the incision and my diaphragm it would be hard to breathe. I was placed in intensive care where I remained for three days in the constant care of a nurse.
I had received what is called a Roux-en-Y surgery. This surgery consists of partitioning off and stapling a small pouch which holds about 15 CCcs, or 1/2 oz., of food or liquid. The small intestine has some of its length rerouted and reattatched to the top portion of the pouch. In my case the entrance to my pouch from my esophagus was also made smaller, to the size of a straw. For the next seven days I would receive no nourishment except by I.V. My sutures had to heal and be checked for possible leakage before I could begin to eat, even soft foods. The only thing that I remember about wanting anything was the overwhelming desire for a cherry popsicle. I was also terribly thirsty and kept a glass of ice shavings in my hand at all times. I found out later that I was not supposed to have even that due to possible complications. To this day I collected crave ice and am comforted by the feel of ice in my mouth. I was poked and poked some more until I felt like a pin cushion and looked as though my body had been beaten by some unknown force. Daily blood tests were taken to effect sure that my body chemistry remained in the normal range. I laid and waited for the magic to happen. I was given a barium upper G.I. to effect sure that there were no leaks and told that after I was able to have a normal bowel movement I could go home. I had an incision from my diaphragm to about an inch around and below my navel. There were 45 staples holding me together, I counted them. I was given the OK and released to my new life.
Because of my suture line, for the next two weeks I could barely move. I had to lie on the couch and occassionally got up to go to the bathroom or to obtain myself something to drink. Eating for the first couple of weeks was out of the question and not appealing anyhow in my state. The staples were removed and I had some trouble with my suture line completely healing, but in time it did. The weight began to come off. When I went to the doctor to have my staples removed, I had dropped an impressive 22 pounds. I regret that the doctor who did my surgery had no aid group or counseling. I understand that many weight loss groups now have those important ways for an individual to keep in touch with others who have shared their experiences. This visit to remove my sutures was the only visit that I had with my surgeon and I was told to follow up with my eneral doctor, who had no experience with gastric by-pass patients. I had been told that for the rest of my life I ran the risk of anemia due to by body’s lack of stomach surface, which is necessary to absorb Vitamin B-12. I would have to have an injection every month to provide that needed nutrient.
Initially I lost weight quite rapidly. I lost one hundred and seventy pounds in the first year following my surgery. Impressive, right? It was, but I was not prepared for mighty that the surgery involved. I ate what I could and soon learned what would not settle in my stomach. I had a hard time with foods of certain textures and do to this day. I cannot eat rice, French fries, or any stringy vegetables like green beans. I throw up if I do. I have learned where all of the bathrooms are in my popular restaurants. I eat, that outmoded familiar pain starts in my upper abdomen, and I have to find the bathroom snappily, after which I immediately feel relief and am ready to eat again. People who have this surgery expecting miracles might get a temporary one, but no one tells you that having it doesn’t change the reasons why we eat too much. Those reasons remain, and without support groups and special counseling, weight loss becomes a temporary fix, like so many other weight loss solutions. Yes, the gastric by-pass works if you work with it. I didn’t use mine to its full potential. I have managed to keep off almost a hundred pounds and I guess in that aspect I was successful. I am not Angelina Jolie in a bathing suit and I am not even close. A bathing suit will never fit on this body in my lifetime. My skin hangs at half-mast. Skin doesn’t have worthy elasticity after the age of fifty, and is kind of like an old deflated balloon that has been blown up too many times. I am not model material.
I did leave out something important though. I found someone who loved me honest the contrivance I am. I found him six months after my surgery. I think it was my confidence and not my figure that attracted him though. Maybe I would have found him anyhow. Would I have the surgery again if I knew what I know now? Probably, because it has helped me keep the weight from climbing higher. I dismay that without it I would be immobile in a nursing home by now. I unbiased wish I would have found out more truths about the surgery and learned more about permanent side effects.
The Roux-en-Y surgery has been around since the mid eighties. There have been many changes over the last few years, including a newer surgery that uses laproscopic techniques instead of a huge incision. Healing time is lop in half. Some of the possible side effects can be:
1. Leakage, 5%.
2. Ulcer, 4%
3. Hernia, 2.5%
4. Blood clots, .8%
5. Severe infections .5%
6. Death,1%
The National Health Institute has found the gastric by-pass to be safe and effective for weight loss..
Related Posts
Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Sep 12th, 2010.
Surgical intervention, in the practice of weight loss, is growing in popularity and demand. For many obese patients, determining the just approach to weight loss can be enchanting and, often, frustrating. With unique body responses, each with a original metabolic response, one weight loss process may work for one individual but does not necessarily work well for another. Understanding surgical weight loss options, such as Lap Band surgery, the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the risk factors, will aid an obese individual in making a more well informed weight loss decision.
During the surgical weight loss procedure, Lap Band, a small pouch is created within the stomach. The concept of Lap Band Surgery lies in the constriction of the stomach, reducing the capacity to hold more than a specific quantity of food, thereby reducing the number of calories the obese individual consumes, ultimately leading to weight loss. Using a stoma, the stomach is reduced in size through a tightening of the band thereby also creating a prolonged feeling of fullness. As needed, the stoma can be adjusted to allow for a greater or decreased food capacity as warranted by the obese patient’s health needs.
For patients undergoing the Lap Band surgical procedure, the obvious first advantage lies within the significant weight loss. Additionally, because the stoma is adjustable, as time progresses, the amount of food intake can be adjusted to the dietary needs of the patient. The surgery is completely reversible and requires no permanent stapling of the stomach lining. With weight loss realized within the first few days following surgery, many patients are then motivated to seek out exercise routines and derive a new rejuvenation as the consumption of calories decreases, thereby increasing the total weight loss.
As with most weight loss surgeries, the Lap Band procedure does carry disadvantages. Of most significant disadvantage is the inability of the patient to consume the number of calories as was consumed prior to surgery. For emotional eaters, this lack of dependence upon food consumption can lead to additional emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, the decreased abiltiy to occupy massive quantities of calories leaves many patients struggling to make important food choices. With less food ingested, the obese patient must be sure to steal the right types of foods so as to ensure proper health is maintained
As with any weight loss surgical procedures, complications and risks are common and may include infection, abnormal bleeding and ineffective weight loss results. When considering a weight loss surgical diagram, such as Lap Band, consult a nutritionist and fitness counselor regarding other possible health and weight loss options. In addition to nutrition and fitness counseling, a visit with a psychologist or social worker, specializing in eating disorders, may be appropriate to ensure the proper mindset is in place when preparing for a Lap Band procedure.
For more information regarding Lap Band procedures, visit www.obesitylapbadsurgery.com.
Related Posts
Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Jul 31st, 2010.