Gastric Bypass Surgery

[Gyrl7]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
Since this convo came up and I paid a visit with the Medical Director here at my hospital that runs our Weight Management Program. Here are some things that I didn't know:

Once you have had the surgery, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Unrevocable, meaning you have it for like
2. You lose 39 oz of stomache
3. You can not drink carbonated beverages
4. You must exercise at LEAST 5 times a week (for at least 1 hour) to prevent huge skins folds.
5. You can only eat tiny amounts of food at one sitting, which is about the size of your fist.(No more getting your grub on @ the holidays...)
6. You lose a large section of your small intestine (you lost the part that absords the food, calories, nutrients, etc.)
7. Hair loss may result from this surgery
8. The average person within a 4 month period will lose about
60-75 lbs.
9. You must follow a certain eating regime (not diet) FOR LIFE because if you do not, you will keep losing weight. For example, when you reach your goal weight, you must follow a certain eating regime in order to maintain that weight. If not, you will continue to lose weight (underweight).

The Medical Director also told me that any good program will consist of some type of long time counseling before and after the surgery. He said that any program that does not have this is one to watch out for.

1savvydive, I pray that your friend is ok.

I know of one person who had it, she was my mother's friend. She first started out with the gastric stomach staple, where they staple one third of your stomach, but the recovery is similar to that of the by-pass only they don't have to reconnect your intestines to anything they can stay where they are. However, it didn't work for this woman so she had the GB surgery, and it got to the point where she couldn't hold anything down not even water, and then started having complications from that surgery too. She eventually died in the hospital at the same time my mother had her Gastric Stomach Staple. I think personally her body just went into a shock for having so many surgeries so close together. Because at this time the procedure was about a few years old and still in the experimental stage. So both surgeries were EXTREMELY risky at that time. My mother said that she regrets ever doing it and would have NEVER done it had the internet been in existance during that time period. All you could do was take the doctors word to a certain degree because there was only so much literature on the subject. I think with the advancements in technology and what not it is easier to weigh the pro's and con's for yourself because you can read the successes and failures of the procedures.

[1savvydiva]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974


1savvydive, I pray that your friend is ok.

She is pretty much out of it, I wasn't able to talk to her, but I talked to her mother. I really hope that everything works out in her favor. Her mom said that she should expect a long recovery...but according to the doctors, she came through the surgery fine. Okay...

[Gyrl7]

Originally posted by 1savvydiva


She is pretty much out of it, I wasn't able to talk to her, but I talked to her mother. I really hope that everything works out in her favor. Her mom said that she should expect a long recovery...but according to the doctors, she came through the surgery fine. Okay...

That's great!

Depending on the person, it may not be as long as you think!

[1savvydiva]

well, it's been about 3 weeks now, and she has lost about 15 pounds already! I am curious to see how the rest of the holidays go being that she can't really eat that much. She said at first she didn't really have an appetite to eat anything anyway, I don't know...she is feeling a lot better so well shall see, I guess.

[Honeykiss1974]

Posted on Thu, Feb. 26, 2004
BY TARA PARKER-POPE
Wall Street Journal


Celebrities such as Al Roker and singer Carnie Wilson have fueled an unprecedented boom in weight-loss surgery. But for many patients, the procedure doesn't live up to the hype.

A small but significant number of patients who have weight-loss surgery regain much or all of their weight back after a few years. Despite anatomical changes that make it impossible to binge or eat large quantities of food, some patients learn to "outeat" the surgery, grazing on small portions of high-calorie foods throughout the day. Other patients lose only a fraction of the weight expected and remain significantly overweight after the surgery.

No one knows for sure how common the problem is, but estimates of these "failures," as they are known among surgeons, range from 5 percent to 20 percent of patients. Some experts worry that the problem may be growing as new weight-loss centers attempt to cash in on the surgical boom without offering patients long-term psychological and nutrition counseling.

"We know there is a portion of the patient population that will not be successful," said Alan Wittgrove, president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. "Sometimes the operation fails them, but sometimes they fail the operation."

Because of growing concerns about quality control and long-term patient success rates, the society is pushing a new plan to be launched in about six weeks that will designate "centers of excellence" for weight-loss surgery, similar to those that already exist for cardiac care and organ transplants, said bariatric surgeon Walter Pories. To qualify as a center of excellence, a surgeon or weight-loss center must document long-term patient results, physician expertise in surgical procedures and a program that offers patients long-term access to nutrition and psychological counseling and follow-up care.

While bariatric surgery helps control the quantity of food consumed, most patients are still plagued by the same eating demons that caused them to gain weight in the first place. In one study, 80 percent of patients reported that they regularly felt a loss of control over eating just six months after surgery. Several studies show that beginning two years after surgery, many patients begin to regain at least some of their weight.

In a small percentage of patients, the weight regain will be excessive. Some patients regain the weight by drinking sweetened soft drinks, juices or milkshakes, or by grazing on crackers and dollops of peanut butter.

[delph998]

Yeah, 1SD, how much did your friend end up losing? I know quite a few people who have done it.

[1sd]

She's about a size 6/8, I don't really know how much she lost, I'll have to ask her. She's completely happy that she did it, and I must admit, she looks wonderful.

[delph998]

Originally posted by 1sd
She's about a size 6/8, I don't really know how much she lost, I'll have to ask her. She's completely happy that she did it, and I must admit, she looks wonderful.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Dang!

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by 1sd
She's about a size 6/8, I don't really know how much she lost, I'll have to ask her. She's completely happy that she did it, and I must admit, she looks wonderful.

I'm sure she looks good, but wasn't she only a size 14/16 to start? From my understanding (or at least this is the standard for the program we run) you must be at least over 100lbs. the recommended weight to qualify for the program.

But if she's happy.....

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Ideal08
Eat right, exercise, and be DISCIPLINED.

Ditto. I know it's hard, and I know it's challenging, but people can -- and do -- lose significant amounts of weight by simply eating right and exercising. Not to toot my own horn but.. those 160 lbs I kicked to the curb are proof of that.

But like Ideal08 said, if you've truly tried everything, I mean really put in the hard work, then it's an option. It's not an easy option though. Your hair falls out, you have dragon stank breath (and bathroom functions), and you're really, really irritable -- and SICK -- for months. After all, it's major surgery. Some people are able to go on solid foods within two weeks. For others, it takes months. Think of it -- nothing but protein shakes and baby food for two, three, four, five, six months.. or more.

I personally know two people who have had the surgery, both of whom weighed about as much as I did (they were about 20-25 pounds heavier than I was at the time I started Weight Watchers). One of them told me that she wishes she'd followed my example. The other is doing well, but it was really rough going for her, and she'll have to go to the doctor for the rest of her life to make sure that her liver and heart functions are okay and weren't adversely affected by the surgery.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
4. You must exercise at LEAST 5 times a week (for at least 1 hour) to prevent huge skins folds.

FWIW, this may not help. I work out on average 4-5 days a week for 60-90 minutes, and I still have loose skin issues.

Your skin's natural elasticity, your age, and whether you've been fat all of your life or only recently became fat play a huge part in how quickly the skin snaps back.

As soon as I win the lottery, I'm having it all CUT OFF!

[1sd]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
I'm sure she looks good, but wasn't she only a size 14/16 to start? From my understanding (or at least this is the standard for the program we run) you must be at least over 100lbs. the recommended weight to qualify for the program.

But if she's happy.....

That was my concern. When I posted, I was concerned because I didn't think she needed it. I realized the other day that I posted that she was like 5' 5", but she is only about 5' 2". But she still wasn't morbidly obese by MY standards, but evidently by the standards for the insurance and the doctors, she qualified. I felt like it was kinda shady...and was more concered for her health.

BTW, I asked her, and she was a woman's size 16, now she is a comfortable 5/6. She said that she's holding steady at about a 75-80 pound loss, depending on the time of the month, LOL.

[vanda]

I'm having the surgery done in a few months and I can tell you, it was a long and thoroughly thought through decision. I have a genetic predisposition to gain weight and I was packing on pounds. My grandmother died of a heart attack and I have a history of diabetes in my family and I did not want to go through that. I am happy with the hospital that I'm with. They have me seeing a psychologist, nutritionist and someone to help me find exercise activities that are right for me. We also have monthly support sessions with others who have had the surgery and a doctor on call for 24 hours if something should happen. I have personally started to get in the habit of removing sugar and fat from my diet. I'm also starting to acclimate myself to eating pureed foods because I know I will be only able to eat those kinds of foods for the first six weeks after. It's not for everyone. I didn't want to have it done at first because I felt like I would be deemed a failure because I didn't do it on my own. Even though I will have surgery, I still have an uphill battle before me. I just try to keep the faith and pray everything goes well.

[DigitalAngel126]

*bump*

Vanda, you still around?? Did you do it? What happened?

[abaici]

Originally posted by 1savvydiva
Hey guys, I wanted to see how many of you maybe knew someone who has had this surgery. One of my friends had been talking about it for a while, I didn't think that she was serious, but I found out that she is getting it done on Saturday!!!! I know of a doctor and a nurse at my hospital that had it done, but never anyone on "my" level. Looking on the internet, I guess it is becoming more accepted and more economically feasible for those who aren't rich. I am kinda scared for her, but kinda happy at the same time because she is doing something to help herself...What do you think?

I know one person who's had the surgery. She looks great! However, I would never do it. I have not exhausted the other weight loss methods.