Tammy Said:

should i be scared of getting bariatric surgery?

We Answered:

Your primary care physician is probably an internist. They prefer to solve problems with drugs and diet changes. The surgeon prefers to cut. (My mom's an internist. My dad's a surgeon. Dinners were interesting.)

Bariatric surgery is serious stuff. It has complications and rest-of-your-life things to think about, like vitamin absorption and gastro-intestinal distress. However, if you have sleep apnea, you are risking your life every time you nod off. That's serious stuff.

You need to do some research. How many of these procedures has your doctor done, and how is his complication rate? Don't believe him if he says he has none. Most people who have this surgery have at least minor complications.

Can the surgery be done laproscopically? This is much less stress on the body and produces fewer complications.

What procedure is he recommending. Lap-banding is the least serious, but while it restricts the amount you can eat, it is less effective at reducing hunger. The jejunoileal bypass and duodenal switch has better results, but more complications.

There are a lot of support groups on the Internet for people who have had this surgery or are considering it. I strongly suggest talking to them.

Also, ask your PCP what she recommends as an alternative. If you haven't tried any drug therapies or behavioral therapies, she may be thinking you are looking for an easy way out of your situation, rather than seeking out a last ditch attempt to control your weight.

Casey Said:

Bariatric Surgery?

We Answered:

I had gastric bypass surgery in April 2005. I started out at 268, now I’m 180 and holding. These links will help you in many ways to make a decision if this is for you or not. I vote yes, because it made such a difference in my life. I was taking 8 pills a day, and after my surgery, I lost my diabetes. The way they do the surgery, takes your diabetes away. I no longer have to take glucophage, and I no longer have high Cholesterol or high blood pressure. I’m down to 2 pills a day. I went from a size 26-28 to a 16-18.
http://obesityhelp.com/member/rjpoole/
Most people struggle with paying for the surgery. Go to this site, it is a great support system for you, because it’s only people who have had gastric bypass or lap band. Every insurance program has been rated, and you’ll get tips on how to deal with your insurance company, as well as, surgery tips, food tips, and just support. This site is free! I’d have to rate it a #1 site if you want to learn about the surgery and how to deal with the insurance companies and get support from other people in the same boat as you.
This is the #1 site for gastric bypass and it’s free! Extremely helpful! http://www.obesityhelp.com/
This explains about the surgery:
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/ga…
I really researched my surgeon, and I made a wise choice. Always get a surgeon that has done at least 200 of these surgeries. Get someone with a lot of experience, and you will do well.
Here’s all about my surgeon…
http://obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/bar…
http://www.cmch.org/profile-pilkington.h…
You just can’t find a better surgeon than him! He’s probably done at least 500 of the surgeries, so far. I did so well after my surgery, I thank him every time I see him.
I made it to 175! It's been almost 2 years since my surgery. I haven't had any complications at all with my surgery! My health has been very good, and I've lost the weight nice and slow, so my body doesn't look that much out of shape. I've been faithfully taking my vitamins, and my blood work came back excellent! I still think very highly of Dr. Pilkington, and would recommend to anyone thinking of this surgery, to have Dr. Pilkington as his or her surgeon. I'm walking proof, that he is an excellent doctor. I just spoke to another patient of his who told me she had a very good experience with him, and she is in excellent health, as well. He is a very caring doctor. I live in Florida in the winter. I see alot of folks down there because of my job, and I see people from all over the USA and overseas. Since my surgery, I've talked to lots of others that have had the surgery in Florida, and some of them didn't do as well, and I tend to think it's because their doctors weren’t as competent as mine. I feel that part of how you do, is because of your general health and attitude. The other major part is how good your doctor is.
Here’s a website that tells what to look for in a surgeon;
http://www.texasbariatricspecialists.com…
http://www.docshop.com/education/bariatr…
Gastric Bypass diet: (after surgery)
http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs22.htm
There is a very good web site by a guy named Basil White. He’s a govt. worker and a comedian. He walks you through everything. Very interesting. He had the surgery and did well. If you want an idea how people handle the surgery, read here!
http://www.basilwhite.com/gastric/
Here’s Basil!
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ba…

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric…
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/46/…
http://www.lapband.com/lapband/aboutlapb…
A must read if you have questions:
http://www.liteandhope.com/livechat_arch…
http://www.bariatricedge.com/dtcf/pages/…


Check out this link, this lady put her heart and soul into it, with lots of great info:
http://www.gastricbypassfamily.com/index…
Vitamins I take… you have to be very faithful about taking them after surgery, because you can become very sick if you don’t. There were recommended by my surgeon and nutritionist.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.j…
http://www.webmd.com/hw/weight_control/h…
Some other helpful links…
http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and…
http://www.stapleclub.com/general_info.h…
http://www.locateadoc.com/articles.cfm/1…
http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=…
http://www.connectionwls.com/
http://www.mygastricbypass.com/
http://www.gwdocs.com/health/eHA-eHA_Con…
Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is considered the safest and most effective type of bariatric surgery. But as with any major surgery, the procedure does carry some risks.
http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=…
http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=…
Good luck with your surgery and new life!

Travis Said:

does anyone know a loop hole to get Bariatric Surgery?

We Answered:

Okay, first of all, lapband is not for everyone and has some SERIOUS side effects and dangers. People lose way too much weight, way too quickly with this procedure and that causes many health issues in their future.

Second, 1 month of working out and watching what you eat is barely a blip on the radar. I know it feels so hard to do, but it is not anywhere near long enough to see significant results. I know you are feeling urgency and want to get the weight off... but you need to think about the rest of your body. Your body is an extremely complex machine that needs all kinds of vitamins, minerals, acids and even foreign metals to function properly. The amount that you can eat after lapband is NOT enough to fulfill these needs. You have treated yourself badly, you have gained a lot of weight... so you need to focus on healing your body, not forcing it to dump fat. You need to fix your diet... and STICK TO IT! For many, many months! It's a slow process! You need to keep up the exercise... don't quit. You will be so much healthier and this will fix many of your health concerns... lapband will NOT prevent your health issues... it will merely starve your body into weight loss, not make you fit and healthy.

Allan Said:

What complications from bariatric surgery should I be concerned about?

We Answered:

The most common complication are pulmonary, bronchitis and pulmonia. I was operate 1 year ago and I retain liquid and later need 2 days more on the hospital for intravenous potassium, I stay 6 days on the hospital. But I had a friend that had bronchitis and she stay 1 month on the hospital.Other that the vomit usually pass on a couple of months. Also a quantity of person had hernia. Ask your doctor , i stronly recomend is the doctor had a support group go to a reunion and hear the history of other persons. Good Luck!

Enrique Said:

Why don't more family doctors recommend bariatric surgery?

We Answered:

Part of the reason that Bariatric Surgery is not more widely used or suggested by doctors is it is a procedure that is generally reserved for the seriously obese. And although most people consider themselves seriously obese they could just as easily solve most health concerns with dietary and long term lifestyle changes. Moreover this surgery does little to deal with the psychological conditions that lead to obesity. It is kinda like giving someone who has been poor their whole life a million dollars. There is no sense of accomplishment or an understanding of what has really happened to them. It is not suppose to be a cosmetic procedure but many people view it as one and expect their insurance companies to foot the bill.

OR as Wikipedia states:

Complications from weight loss surgery are frequent. A study of insurance claims of 2522 who had undergone bariatric surgery showed 21.9% complications during the initial hospital stay and a total of 40% risk of complications in the subsequent six months. This was more common in those over 40 and led to increased health care expenditure. Common problems were gastric dumping syndrome in about 20% (bloatedness and diarrhoea after eating, necessitating small meals or medication), leaks at the surgical site (12%), incisional hernia (7%), infections (6%) and pneumonia (4%). Mortality was 0.2%.[22] As the rate of complications appears to be reduced when the procedure is performed by an experienced surgeon, guidelines recommend that surgery is performed in dedicated or experienced units.[2]

So it is not a short path to happiness or a quick fix it is a major medical procedure that was designed for serious cases not for people who don't want to exercise and eat right.

Ricardo Said:

How can Bariatric surgery be a solution for diabetes?

We Answered:

The primary cause for Type 2 Diabetes is obesity.

Bariatric Surgery, of course, causes rapid and massive weight loss. the weight loss thus improves the diabetic situation.

You ARE more likely to get complications when you are diabetic, but this is a well known fact, a fact that the doctors are WELL aware of, and take precautions for pre- and post-operative care to minimize these risks.

[I am 50 pounds overweight, and a Type 2 Diabetic for 30+ years. I recently had a kidney transplant (a much worse operation that bariatric surgery) with NO complications.]

In a person that is a CONTROLLED diabetic with an obesity problem, bariatric surgery is a completely viable option.

For a person who is an UNCONTROLLED diabetic, ANY surgery is very risky, and most doctors won't recommend bariatric until the diabetes is under control for at least 6 months.