Gastric Bypass Recovery

Gastric bypass surgery is a major event with potentially serious postoperative complications. During the recovery period, it is extremely important that you follow all of the guidelines your doctor gives you to minimize your risks and to maximize your successful recovery.

Your hospital stay during gastric bypass recovery will be anywhere from two to six days, depending on the success of the surgery and how quickly your body heals. After you go home, take your time before returning to your normal routine. Slowly increase your level of activity over a period of several weeks, and follow your doctor's instructions on what activities are permitted.

Health Benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Although no results are guaranteed, most people lose between 60 and 80 percent of their excess body weight within 18 months. Many will regain some of the weight but in long-term studies, most people keep at least 50 percent of the excess weight off for five years or more.

After gastric bypass recovery, co-morbid conditions, such as weight related heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, lower back pain and knee problems, usually improve or completely disappear. However, since the surgery causes your body to absorb fewer nutrients, it is important that you take the proper dietary supplements to prevent development of any serious deficiency-related diseases. Your doctor will probably require post-operative and follow up visits for the first two years after gastric bypass recovery to monitor your overall health and progress.

Cosmetic Considerations After Weight Loss

One of the more unpleasant results of losing large amounts of excess weight is having entirely too much skin after the fat is gone. This excess skin tends to hang loosely and very unattractively around the face, neck, breasts, upper and lower abdomen, flanks, armpits, back, buttocks, upper arms, forearms, thighs, legs and calves. The younger you are, the more likely you are that the skin will eventually tighten up and look normal. Older people will need to consider cosmetic surgery to get rid of all the loose, flabby skin.

Besides looking horrible, all this extra skin can also cause hygiene problems, shin irritation, infections, etc.—not too mention making it almost impossible to find clothes that both look good and fit properly. The most common cosmetic operations people have done are:

Tummy Tuck - This procedure removes excess skin around the waist and tightens the abdominal muscles.

Breast Reduction, Breast Implants and Breast Lift - Losing weight causes breasts to sag severely and get smaller, since some of the size is due to the fat underneath the skin. Implants or a breast lift can help restore a natural shape and firmness. In a few rare cases, a woman's breasts may still be too big and need to be reduced to improve appearance.

Male Breast Reduction - This procedure removes excess skin and corrects chest droopiness in men.

Face Lift, Eyelid Surgery, Neck Lift and Forehead Lift - Many people opt for facial plastic surgery to correct the sagging caused by time and then exacerbated by extreme weight loss.

Thigh Lift and Buttock Lift - These procedures basically lift, tighten and remove excess skin in the thigh and buttocks.

Arm Wing Removal, Arm Lift and Arm Reduction - These surgeries remove the unsightly wings often seen on older people, or lift and reduce the excess on the rest of the upper arm and in rare cases the lower arm.

Liposuction - A popular solution, liposuction removes stubborn fat in localized areas and "sculpt" the body.

The results of these cosmetic procedures can dramatically improve the quality of life for gastric bypass patients and some of them are covered by health insurance if considered medically necessary.

About the Author:
Craig Thompson, better known as "Big T," a former sumo wrestler who used to tip the scales at 400 pounds has since reinvented himself as a singer and bandleader. As one of the earliest to have Gastric Bypass Surgery, in 1997.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/gastric-bypass-recovery-12019.html

Causes of Obesity

Obesity has become one of the major problems today that it is now termed as globesity. It is accepted as a global danger and governments are putting in resources to fight this threat. The economic resources of the country are wasted in fighting this menace.

The Survey Reports confirm that 1% obesity levels are increasing every year for the last 15-20 years and if this rate continues whole of the population of America will be over-weight by the year 2040. The eating habits of people have changed over the years. Fast food chains, more of carbonated drinks and above all, the work culture has added to all this.

The original causes of obesity have to be understood to eliminate it from its roots.

Changing Work Culture
Earlier, people were required to perform their work in a single day without any breaks and any unwanted movement. There were limitations on holidays and leaves so there was very less social life left for them.
Now-a-days, people get big breaks at their workplace so that they can take rest and they get much more time to meet their deadlines. The timings have become flexible so one can move according to his/her plans.

Junk Food
Changing time has brought many new things with it and one thing which we can mention here is fast food. This food has affected our lives like nothing else before. Low physical activity has resulted in the inability of the body to break down sugar molecules and has led to an increased desire for instant and quick absorbing, cheap energy foods. Junk food and carbonated drinks quickly emerged to replace energy foods and drinks which constituted all the necessary nutrients. By the time, people started realizing the fact that fast food is adding to their ill-health it was too late. Today�s generation is totally dependent on such foods and it seems difficult to stop them.

Transportation Facilities
These days, people spend very little time walking since the mode of transportation has improved. There is little need to walk distances. There are various transportation means to travel to your destination. Life has become very fast as compared to the laid-back 20th century lifestyles. This resulted in high stress leading to an increased longing for carbohydrates and high-energy foods which gave way to fast food.

Improvement in Technology
Technology has influenced our lifestyle to a great extent. From cooking to computers, everything is just at the touch of a button involving very little physical activity. This sedentary lifestyle resulted in low metabolic activity and calorie burning. The actual exercise is walking and breathing fresh air rather than exercising in gyms on treadmills.

Role of Information Technology
Information technology has affected the work culture in a sense that you do not have to visit customers or business associates for meetings. You do everything using computers, internet, video conferencing and teleconferencing. Technology has even enabled the work to be outsourced to different countries with no physical contact needed. Work can be done sitting at one place.

Obesity and overweight needs to be tackled by designing a new lifestyle that will combine technology with natural living. Technology has to be an enabler of better health and lifestyles and not be the basis for the destruction of the mankind.

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About the author:
This article is submitted by Versha, Editor to Pillslim.com Please
Visit the website pillslim.com for more solutions about Weight Loss.

The Baria-life experience

The Baria-life experience

People who have had this surgery describe it as the "last alternative" they’ve turned to to lose weight. After listening to their personal experiences, I dare say that this is the "first alternative" towards a full life: it is called bariatric surgery and it is an option nowadays chosen by most people who suffer from morbid obesity. This is the solution for obese people who cannot stay thin after losing weight, for those people who suffer from overweight-related diseases and for people who have psychosocial problems related to obesity. Bariatric surgery can help you obtain long-lasting results, since it limits the intake of food. In the past, this kind of surgery was made to patients who suffered from gastrointestinal ulcers. Since this procedure caused a considerable loss of weight, it started to be use on people who suffered from overweight. Over the years, and thanks to the great technology advances, techniques that are used in surgery have become more precise and postoperative periods less painful. The main difference between the first surgeries and the ones that started to be performed in the early 90s is that the former were performed through open techniques and wide wounds, whereas the later are performed through laparoscopic techniques, i.e. through small wounds or incisions. Severe clinical obesity has considerably grown in the past decades. Their permanence in the society implies a great medical, psychological and economic impact. If we stop for a minute to consider the responsibility that obesity has for different medical complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes type II, we may say that bariatric surgery is the last alternative, not to lose weight but to continue alive. For this reason, it is more and more common for people to choose bariatric surgery to recover their physical and psychological health. It is chosen all around the world and offered here in Argentina. It is one of the many specialties of Plenitas.

In order to learn more about this problem we decided to contact Jack and Tina, two American citizens who suffered from chronic overweight and suffered the consequences of this disease.

We found the solution in Argentina, in the hands of a specialist in Bariatric Surgery of Plenitas, Dr. Eduardo Alberto Babor.

Jack and Tina tell us how their lives have changed after the bariatric surgery
Scale going up and down

I met Jack and Tina at the Howard Johnson Buenos Aires Hotel. In the case of Tina, this is not her first trip to Argentina, last year she visited this country to have a bariatric surgery. "Back then I used to weigh 260 pounds" said Tina. She had severe health problems due to overweight. "We both had a poor health condition". The scale would move down and right away it would move upwards. She kept gaining weight and it was starting to limit her daily life. "I wasn’t even able to tie my shoes". Her lifestyle was becoming more and more sedentary. "I could not breathe. We used to walk a few blocks and right away we should stop to rest. We would stay home sitting in front of the TV all day long. We weren’t able to do anything."

Obese people usually do not have a good response to traditional diets to lose weight. Jack and Tina found it very difficult not to gain the lost weight again. "The thing with Jack is that he has been a well-built person all his life. We have tried lots of diets. Everything from liquid diets to eating virtually nothing" Tina added. "Last April Jack got on a special diet. At first he lost weight, but then he recovered it quickly."

"I couldn’t breathe…I couldn’t do anything"

A decision based on life quality

Tina used to weight 260 pounds when she decided to undergo surgery. It was a tough decision. Any person willing to undergo this surgery must understand its implications, must be informed about the procedure and the effects of this surgery. "I thought it out for a long time. I’m a nurse in the US, I knew I needed to be healthier urgently" Tina said. "After talking with many of my colleagues in the field of medicine I decided that this would be the best option". Tina was determined to lose weight and be in a good health condition. On the other hand, Jack states: "I read the research work on which Tina based her decision. She did all the hard work; I saw how convinced she was about this and I decided to do the same".

Both surgical cases were within the required parameters to undergo this surgery, their body mass index and health condition. So, once Tina decided to do it, she just needed to establish when, where and who was going to perform it. "I couldn’t afford this surgery in the US. Luckily, I found Plenitas and Dr. Babor and I said that’s where we are going!

They lost weight and gained hope

It’s been 8 months since Tina’s surgery. Today, she weighs 130 pounds. She has already had time to enjoy this change. This surgery was a turning point in her life, both physically and psychologically. Now, not only does she look better and feel more confident but also no longer has the physical limitations that used to prevent her from doing simple daily-life chores. "Now I can take care of my personal hygiene by myself" said Tina with tears in her eyes. Now we can have a glimpse at the lifestyle she used to have. The difficulties and obstacles that she had to overcome in every activity she engaged. Jack’s case was very similar: "I had to sit on the bed to put on my shoes and even though it was difficult to put them on because I could not bend without feeling short of breath."

The impact generated by this surgery in the health condition of Tina turned out to be a considerable improvement in her quality of life. She started to feel filled with energy, she even engaged in new activities. "Now I can swim, walk and ride a bicycle. I can go up the stairs instead of using the elevator" Tina said. She clearly notices the change in her health condition and this has boosted her self-esteem considerably, which makes her more agile and willing to be in motion. "Now I can sit on the floor and play with my dogs, take them for a walk." Moreover, in being healthier physically the risk of having overweight-related diseases decreased. "I don’t suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure anymore. Now my heart is so much stronger. Before the surgery I couldn’t do anything, not even breathe".

"Now I can swim, walk and ride a bicycle... my heart is so much stronger... before the surgery I couldn’t do anything"

Life after surgery

Jack underwent surgery just a few days ago. He feels much better. "Dr. Babor was fantastic I feel really well." I was very anxious to continue traveling across Argentina. "It’s the first time I visit this country and I love Buenos Aires." Although this time Tina only came to be with his husband she said she is going to make good use of the trip and have a buttocks lift.

Meanwhile, both of them are planning their next visit to Argentina. "Next year we are coming back to Plenitas to have other procedures" said Tina. "Jack is going to have an abdominoplasty, Neck lift and a penile augmentation. I’m thinking about having an abdominoplasty and breast augmentation. We have already talked to the doctors who performed the surgeries and they told us that as soon as we are determined to do it they will gladly perform the surgeries".

Now they have a wide variety of opportunities: Tina’s life has already started to change a while ago, you can notice that by only hearing her talking. She has told us some of their experiences, but she has kept to herself the most important ones to tell them then, she wants to share them with Jack. "Once Jack loses more weight we are planning to take a trip to Tahiti and Hawaii for two weeks. We are going scuba diving" Tina said. For the time being, they can tell us what they are planning to do in the near future. "We are going to ride our bicycles! Jack has a bicycle waiting for him in the US."

It is absolutely clear that for them this is the beginning of a new life, filled with new projects and expectations. They’ve know each other for a long time, but they will discover each other again, in different physical and psychological conditions. They’ve lost a lot of weight and gain in quality of life. Now they only have to enjoy their lives, something that they sure know how to do pretty well.

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Source: Plenitas.com - Bariatric Surgery Blog

Gastric Bypass Surgery - Types and Risks

Gastric bypass surgery is a common form of weight loss surgery that results in outstanding weight loss with minimal side effects. But once you undergo the gastric bypass surgery procedure you have to accept lifelong changes in your diet. The post-diet of gastric bypass surgery includes an adequate intake of protein, taking vitamin and mineral supplements including multivitamin, iron and calcium, B12 and avoiding sweets and fatty foods.

Types of gastric bypass surgery

In gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon takes off a large portion of the stomach leaving behind a tiny pouch. It is this small pouch that prevents overdose of eating as it can take very less amount of food. Moreover, with large parts of your stomach and small intestine bypassed, most of the nutrients and calories in the food do not get absorbed at all. This helps the person from gaining excess weight.

There are several types of bypass surgery operations.

They are:

• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RGB] – this is a common surgery where a small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together or by vertical banding. This reduces the amount of food to be taken. Then a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first portion of jejunum. This causes reduced calorie and rapid nutrient absorption.
• Extensive gastric bypass [biliopancreatic diversion] – in this complicated surgery, the lower portion of the stomach is removed. The small pouch that remains connected to the final segment of the small intestine completely bypasses both duodenum and jejunum.
  

People who undergo gastric bypass surgery always lose two-thirds of their excess weight within two years.

Risks of gastric bypass surgery

Gastric bypass surgery causes “dumping syndromes” where the stomach contents move too rapidly through the small intestine. The usual symptoms of gastric bypass surgeries include weakness, sweating, fainting, nausea, diarrhea, as well as inability to eat sweets.

People who undergo this procedure are at risk of:

• Band erosion – the band closing off part of the stomach disintegrates
• Pouch stretching – stomach gets bigger overtime, stretching back to its normal size before surgery
• Leakage of stomach contents into the abdomen [acid can eat away other organs]
• Nutritional deficiencies causing health problems
• Breakdown of staple lines – band and staple fall apart, reversing procedure
  

Gastric bypass diet

Gastric bypass diet helps the patients to drop 50% to 90% of their overall excess fats. The diet is designed to bring about significant weight loss. It basically includes foods that are high in protein and low in fat, fiber, calories, and sugar. You should have lots of vitamins and minerals. Iron, vitamin, folate and calcium are the best nutrients for patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery.

You can undergo gastric bypass surgery only if you have been obese for at least 5 years, do not have a history of alcohol abuse, and do not possess untreated depression and range between the ages 18 to 65.
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Article Source:http://www.articleboy.com

Author Barney Garcia is a proud contributing author and enjoys writing about many different topics. Please visit my web sites @ www.thetop-cosmetic-surgery.info and www.cosmetic-surgery-always.info

Successful weight loss photo testimonial

Gastric bypass can change your life, but it is always a personal decicion. Here you can see Connie's weight loss journey.

Weight-loss surgery saves lives, studies find

Here is an article writted by Thomas H. Maugh II, from Los Angeles Times Staff. It´s a very interesting article about bariatric surgery and how this procedure reduce deaths among obese patients.

You can read the article here »

Bariatric procedures reduce deaths among obese patients by as much as 40%, two reports conclude.

New Research on Weight Loss Surgery

Weight-loss surgery can help obese people shed hundreds of pounds, but now doctors say it can help them in other ways too.

New research shows the procedure can help lower a person's risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Doctors agree the decision to have major surgery should not be taken lightly, but when it comes to weight loss surgery, new research shows the benefits may far out way the risks.

"Less than one percent of the people that need weight reduction surgery are having them each year," Bariatric surgeon Dr. James Davidson said.

Researchers say the results of lengthy studies indicate that gastric bypass surgery can help extend the lives of people who are severely obese. Doctors say the procedure has been proven to dramatically reduce the number of deaths associated with heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

"For some people, it's life changing, both from a longevity standpoint and also how they feel," Davidson said. "If you have a bad knee, or a back, and you can't get out of bed, it's amazing. Somebody loses 15 or 20 pounds and they come back here just a week later. They're out of pain."

Some say the new research might convince more doctors to perform weight loss surgeries and more insurance companies to cover the cost of the procedure.

Doctors say it's still a good idea to try to lose weight without having surgery, especially since the operation can carry serious risks.

Source: WOAI.COM

GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

How it works

Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller using surgical staples or a plastic band and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine, which means fewer calories are absorbed. Patients feel full more quickly than before, which reduces the amount of food eaten and calories consumed.

What to expect

A two- to three-day hospital stay for a laparoscopic procedure and a return to normal activity within three to five weeks.

It can cause a "dumping syndrome" when food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness and possibly diarrhea soon after eating. High-calorie foods such as sweets worsen the effects.

Patients can exercise the day they get out of the hospital. Most tend to exercise quickly after surgery.

Who should have it

Those with a body mass index at 40 or above, a life-threatening or disabling condition related to weight, or unable to lose weight with other treatments.

Who shouldn't

Patients with terminal cancer or severe heart problems. Patients with a history of alcohol abuse, untreated depression or another major psychiatric problems.
Some numbers

75 percent of patients are women and 25 percent are men

18 to 65 is the age range of the majority of patients

69 to 82 percent of excess weight is lost within 12 to 54 months after laparoscopic surgery.

Source: Local surgeons, WebMD Medical Reference