Author: bell

Why Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Posted on December 27, 2017

Choosing weight loss surgery is never an easy decision. If you’ve struggled with your weight and can’t ever seem to get the scale to move in your favor, weight loss surgery may be for you. Gastric sleeve surgery has become a popular choice for those who choose bariatric surgery. Here are several things you should consider when considering whether gastric sleeve surgery is right for you.

Why Choose Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Are you the clinical definition of morbidly obese? Do you have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or higher? Or do you have a lower BMI between 35 to 39.9 but have one or more chronic health conditions? If you answered yes to any of these questions, and have consistently tried and failed to lose weight and keep it off, then you may be an excellent candidate for gastric sleeve surgery.

Benefits of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Outside of saving your life, gastric sleeve surgery can also significantly improve your quality of life. Weight loss surgery can help relieve chronic joint and back pain that occurs because of all the extra weight you’ve been carrying around. It can help alleviate sleep apnea, allowing you to sleep through the night without a CPAP machine. You’ll also see a reversal of chronic health issues such as diabetes, depression, high-blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Eating After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

After bariatric surgery, your entire relationship with food has to change. Not only will you have to eat considerably less after surgery, how you eat will change as well. For example, you will no longer be able to eat and drink at the same time. According to bariatric surgery nurse Karen Schulz, “Patients should drink their fluids at least 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating, but it doesn’t take long for most people to adjust.”

Other changes include mainly eating protein, eliminating sweets and learning how to handle your emotions without turning to food. After surgery, you will also need vitamins and supplements to make up for nutritional deficiencies in your new diet.

Dangers of Ignoring Gastric Sleeve Diet

It is crucial that you follow the strict diet given to you by your doctor after having gastric sleeve surgery. If you stray from the diet, you may experience some serious and life-threatening complications. Complications can include vomiting, plugging, a sensation that feels like food is stuck in the upper digestive tract and minimum to no weight-loss. More severe complications include a perforated stomach, which is a leak in your gut, and septic shock, which, if not caught early, can kill you.

Are you a good candidate for weight loss surgery?

Posted on December 27, 2017

If a patient goes through insurance, their qualifications are as follows:

The items below are the minimum necessary for approval of your weight loss surgery. (This is BCBS policy, which is what most insurance companies follow).  However, Medicare is straight forward in their process.  They only go by the BMI specifications listed below.

BMI Specifications

  • Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater OR…
  • BMI 35 or greater with co-morbid conditions, including but not limited to HTN on optimal drug therapy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes (must be treated with insulin or oral agents), pulmonary hypertension or severe obstructive sleep apnea (RDI of 50 or greater).
  • Documentation of participation in a physician-supervised program of nutrition and increased activity including dietitian consultation, low-calorie diet, increased physical activity and behavioral modification. The program must be for six consecutive months and must be within previous 12 months of the request for surgery. Documentation of program participation must appear in the medical record by the attending physician. Records must include comments by the physician regarding patient progress or lack of progress OR acceptable with medical record documentation of medical supervision are; Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig, EatRight etc. Not acceptable are self-directed programs such as joining a gym, Atkins diet, calorie counting, low fat, cutting back, internet programs, etc.
  • Active participation and documentation of non-surgical methods of weight loss.
  • Diagnosed as morbidly obese for 3 years or more in medical records. A letter from the PCP and dated photographs will be considered in lieu of recorded heights and weights.
  • 18 years of age
  • Primary Care Physicians Letter (PCP Letter)
  • Consult and Recommendation for a surgeon from a bariatric surgeon.
  • Must stop smoking at least 8 weeks prior to surgery.

BMI Requirements

Some insurance companies vary on criteria.  Some only have a 3-month diet, some have no diet, and some have a 6-month diet.  The main thing is the BMI requirements…35 with a comorbidity and 40 without.  Now with Private Pay is different.  The Comorbidities do not have to be present.

What is the Lap Band Recovery process?

Posted on December 27, 2017

LAP-BAND is usually performed in the Outpatient Surgery Center.  The patient starts a high-protein low carb liquid diet for 1-2 weeks prior to surgery.  The patient is discharged the same day of the procedure and can usually return to work in 3-5 days.

Since there is no cutting, stapling, or stomach re-routing involved in the LAP-BAND System procedure, it is considered the least traumatic of all weight loss surgeries. The laparoscopic approach to the surgery also offers the advantages of reduced post-operative pain, shortened hospital stay and quicker recovery. If for any reason the LAP-BAND System needs to be removed, the stomach generally returns to its original form.

Lap Band Procedure Advantages

Minimal Trauma

  • Least invasive surgical option
  • No intestinal re-routing
  • No cutting or stapling of the stomach wall or bowel
  • Reduced pain, hospital length-of-stay, and recovery period

Fewer Risks and Side Effects

  • Lower mortality risk than other obesity surgery procedures
  • Low risk of nutritional deficiencies associated with gastric bypass
  • Reduced risk of hair loss
  • No “dumping syndrome” related to dietary intake restrictions

Adjustable

  • Allows individualized degree of restriction for ideal, long-term weight loss
  • Adjustments performed without additional surgery
  • Supports pregnancy by allowing stomach outlet size to be opened for increased
  • nutritional needs

Reversible

  • Removable
  • Stomach and other anatomy are generally restored to their original forms and functions

What You Should Know About A Gastric Bypass

Posted on December 27, 2017

weight loss

Gastric bypass surgery is a very effective procedure to help patients lose weight and cure the medical problems that occur when you are morbidly obese. It has excellent long-term success, and patients have a much healthier and happier life.

This surgery involves reducing the stomach size and rearranging your intestines, and as a result, you feel full much sooner after meals. Also, you don’t absorb as many calories as you eat, and you don’t have the same hunger mechanism. These aspects of gastric bypass along with eating a healthy diet and exercising will be the key to a successful weight loss journey.

Before and During the Day of Surgery

It is necessary to undergo a health assessment so that your physician is aware of your medical and surgical history. After meeting with the physician, he will request blood tests, and if necessary, an EKG and a chest X-ray. You will also attend a nutrition and prep class to help you prepare for this surgery.

In order to prepare your body for the surgery, you will need to undergo a special diet for one to two weeks prior to the operation. This pre-op diet is important because it will shrink the size of your liver, which sits on top of your stomach. You will not be allowed to drink or eat anything after midnight before your surgery.

Immediately After Surgery

Expect to stay overnight in the hospital, as you will need to be monitored for any potential complications. Immediately after surgery, it is normal to feel slightly sore, and the nurses will administer the necessary medications to keep the pain to a minimum. You will be expected to walk as soon as possible on the day of surgery. Early ambulation will help prevent blood clots and will speed up the recovery process.

2-3 Days After Surgery

You should be off of the pain medication. Try to stay active, but don’t overdo it. You will need to start slowly increasing your exercise regimen. You will have a dietary guideline that will help you to maintain a low calorie, high protein diet.

2-4 Weeks After Surgery

You should be increasing your exercise regimen. You will have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon and the nutritionist. You will need to start the bariatric supplements as recommend in the pre-op education class.

Gastric Sleeve Recovery

Posted on December 27, 2017

weight loss surgery procedure

Day 1: Surgery Day

After awakening from gastric sleeve surgery, which takes around 45 minutes, you will have some soreness, but the soreness generally isn’t very severe. The nurses will have all of the necessary medications to keep your pain to a minimum. Expect to see 5 incisions. The largest is usually the sorest and will be where your surgeon has removed part of your stomach.

You’ll be attached to an IV, and pain medication can be provided as needed. Anesthesia may make you nauseous, but this feeling should disappear quickly. You will start on a liquid diet once you are transferred to your room on the surgical floor.

Moving may be a little uncomfortable at first, but you have to get up and start moving as soon as possible. The more you move after your surgery, the better you’ll feel tomorrow.

The Day After Surgery

If you are tolerating your liquid diet without problems and ambulating effectively, you will be able to go home on the day after surgery. You will meet with the dietician prior to leaving the hospital. After being discharged, make sure to read the post-operative instructions and have your prescriptions filled for pain and nausea medication.

After Surgery: Week 1

You will continue on the liquid diet for 5 days. After that diet, you will advance your diet according to the guidelines that you learned in the pre-op nutrition class. If there are any questions, always refer back to the book that you received in the meeting.

Make sure to get 60 grams of protein and 64 ounces of fluid daily. Also, you will need to start taking your bariatric supplements as directed in the pre-op prep class.

You need to start establishing a regular exercise regimen and increasing your goals weekly.

Week 2-Month 3

You will start to see rapid weight loss during this time. You may still feel tired but should have more energy than you did before surgery. Your mood could fluctuate, but otherwise, you should be feeling a lot better.

After 30 days, your physical activities are unrestricted. You can start weight lifting or anything else that will increase your calorie consumption.