Weight
Loss Surgery
Does this
mean I am a fat lazy slob with no will power to lose
weight
on my
own? NO it does not. My doctor once said to me that
fat
people have
more willpower in their big toe than all the skinny
people
in the
world. I am tired of being sick and tired.
I am tired of
hating what I see in the mirror. I
want to be
around when my grandchildren
graduate from
high school or college.
I do not want
to be remembered
as
the woman that
had to
buried in a
piano box.
Clicking on picture takes you
to the Duodenal Switch Information Zone
You
will find every physician/surgeon listed that does this procedure state by state
with contact information. You will find patient
information. Pictures and stories. You will find
information regarding the procedure that can be printed out. There is a FAQ's list (frequently asked questions). Before surgery,
during sugary, after surgery, post op eating. I think most of the bases
are covered. There is an on-line support group, made up of people just like me. We all share the hurt and pain of being morbidly obese. If you would like to join a group of people that are seeking to have this surgery or have already had this surgery you can join below.
Click to subscribe to duodenalswitch
I truly believe that if
you go to your sink, turn the water on and look at your drain you will get the
full picture of the reason why I do not want the RNY. Everything you put
in your stomach immediately goes out of it and as with a sink with a open
drain, it never gets full. Your pyloric valve is that sink stopper
and with the RNY that is what you get, no sink stopper. With the DS
you will not regain your weight. With the RNY you have a good chance of
regaining. With the DS the lactose intolerance and gas (whoever
smelled a good fart or BM?) lasts about 6 months (some have none) and there are
medications to treat the odor internally. Devron is one of them. To
have a lasting effect on weight loss with the RNY, it needs to be a distal
procedure and that causes the same syptoms of gas and bm's that the DS
does along with the lactose intolerance.
Both surgeries are
reversible. But with the RNY if the pyloric valve is inactive very long
and you reverse the surgery it still will not work (hence open drain for the
rest of your life). The DS is reversible except for the portion of the
stomach that is removed.
I have
copied some of the advantages and disadvantages from both
procedures from NYUMC weight loss site. (I'm proud to
claim Dr Ren for my surgeon). I think they are pretty clear. Also
click on the links to see drawings of the procedures come to life in a flash
picture.
- The gastric bypass is presently the
most commonly performed weight loss operation and is endorsed by the
American Society of Bariatric Surgery
(ASBS) as the "gold standard" of
bariatric operations.
- Weight loss ranges from 60% to 80%
of excess body weight in patients with a BMI 35-60 kg/m2, over the
first 2 years. This equals roughly 80-150 pounds, depending on your original weight.
- The majority of existing
co-morbidities are improved, or even cured.
- Since the rest of the lower portion
of the stomach is left alone, this operation is reversible.
- "Dumping syndrome" is a common side
effect after gastric bypass and occurs when the contents of the stomach
empties rapidly into the small intestine, especially if you eat concentrated
sweets or carbohydrates. The feeling you will experience may be a combination
of profuse sweating, nausea, dizziness and weakness. "Dumping" is actually a
desired side-effect of the surgery to discourage you from eating
sweets.
Disadvantages:
- After 2 years, some may experience a
10-30 pound weight regain.
- The operation causes food to bypass
certain areas of the small intestine that are responsible for absorbing
protein, calcium and certain vitamins. In addition, less iron is absorbed
because of the smaller size of the new stomach pouch. For this reason, it will
be necessary to take daily vitamin and mineral supplements everyday for the
rest of your life so that you avoid any problems with nutritional
deficiencies. These include: a multivitamin, calcium, Vitamin B12, and iron.
You will also need to increase the amount of protein in your diet according to
your nutritionist, since the amount of food you will be eating is much less.
Blood tests are performed every 3 months for the first year to check your
nutritional status.
Advantages:
- Weight loss ranges from
70%-90% of excess body weight in patients with a BMI 35-85 kg/m2,
over the first 2 years. This equals roughly 100-300 pounds, depending on your
original weight. After that, there is almost no weight regain. It is one of
the most powerful operations to achieve a large amount
of long-lasting weight loss.
- The majority of existing
co-morbidities
are improved, or even cured.
- Because the pylorus
valve is preserved, food does not enter the small intestine quickly and
dumping should not occur.
Disadvantages:
- Since only 25% of fat is
absorbed after this operation, most patients will experience frequent,
foul-smelling, pasty bowel movements especially after eating fatty food. Other
associated side-effects include flatulence and bloating. These side-effects
typically improve after the first 6 months, and by avoiding fatty
foods.
- Only part of the
operation is reversible. The small intestine can be reconnected to its
original anatomy, however, the stomach pouch will remain smaller for several
years.
- Since more food
(especially fat) is not absorbed due to a greater length of intestine being
bypassed, there is a higher chance for nutritional problems. For this reason,
it will be necessary to take daily vitamin and mineral supplements everyday
for the rest of your life so that you avoid any problems with nutritional
deficiencies. These include: a multivitamin, calcium, Vitamin B12, iron and
vitamins which are absorbed with fat (A,D,E,K). You will also need to increase
the amount of protein in your diet according to your nutritionist, since the
amount of food you will be eating is much less. Blood tests are performed
every 3 months for the first year to check your nutritional status.
- Because the stomach
pouch is larger, there is more acid present and some patients may experience
heartburn. This is easily corrected with antacids.
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