BLOG 38 GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

BLOG 38 GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

Gastric bypass surgery is the most common weight loss surgery on the market. Everyone’s weight loss journey is different and requires specific aspects tailored to their body type. What works for one individual is not necessary the solution for someone else (hence why we might find a personal trainer to design a program that works for your own specific needs). Seeking medical help is also an option. So let’s take a look at this type of surgery and what it can do for a person seeking weight loss help. 

It is no doubt this procedure is life changing. From losing so much excess weight, one can also change other weight related problems including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. A person considering this surgery would typically have experienced one or more of the following(http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/gastric-bypass-surgery/art-20046318): “Efforts to lose weight with diet and exercise have been unsuccessful, your body mass index (BMI) is 40 or higher (extreme obesity), your BMI is 35 to 39.9 (obesity) and you have a serious weight-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or severe sleep apnea”. 

The process to qualify can be a long road for some and may involve screening from a doctor, surgeon, dietitian, and psychologist. The factors a candidate are evaluated for includes one’s general weight history which includes, “your weight trends, diet attempts, eating habits, exercise regimen, stress level, time constraints, motivation and other factors” (http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/gastric-bypass-surgery/art-20046318). One’s current state of health is also screened as factors such as blood clots, heart problems, liver disease, alcohol and nicotine use, and having kidney stones, can all impact the surgery and worsen these conditions. One’s psychological status is also very important. Of course surgery is not prevented by conditions such as, “binge-eating disorder, substance abuse, depression, anxiety disorders and issues related to childhood sexual abuse”, but these issues can impact the long term success of a patient’s post-surgery in dealing with these matters (http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/gastric-bypass-surgery/art-20046318). A person’s motivation and readiness to follow the guidelines post-surgery are also evaluated. 

Health insurance and gastric bypass coverage is a whole new ball field. Some of my clients have found this process to be a dead end. Discouraged by the process alone, many decide not to fight the uphill battle to have their insurance cover the surgery. For others, when everything else has failed, money is no longer an object. It is my hope that these centers don’t play on the vulnerability of these people, but I know that there is the business side to everything. 

And now let’s take a look at the actual procedure. To being, “The surgeon divides the stomach into a large portion and a much smaller one. Then, in a process sometimes called ‘stomach stapling,’ the small part of the stomach is sewn or stapled together to make a pouch, which can hold only a cup or so of food” (http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/what-gastric-bypass-surgery). Next, “The surgeon disconnects the new, small stomach pouch from the majority of the stomach and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum), and then connects it to a part of the small intestine slightly farther down (the jejunum). This surgical technique is called a ‘Roux-en-Y.’ After a Roux-en-Y, food passes directly from the stomach into the jejunum, bypassing the duodenum. This curbs your absorption of calories and nutrients. This weight loss method is called ‘malabsorptive.’“ (http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/what-gastric-bypass-surgery). 

Post-surgery, the patient stays in the hospital for about 3 days, and normal life can typically resume in about two to three weeks. However, in the all the stories I have read, one’s sense of normalcy is altered entirely. Constant bathroom trips, fatigue, and cramping, are just some of the side effects some complain of. Complications that might occur are blood clots, wound infections, ulcers, and digestive problems. However, “The risk of complications is lower at centers that do more than 100 weight loss surgeries per year. Deaths in the month following gastric bypass surgery are very rare (about 0.2% to 0.5%, or less than one in 200 people) when the procedure is done by a highly experienced surgeon” (http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/what-gastric-bypass-surgery). Most people need to start taking supplements as their nutritional absorption of iron or calcium might be altered or lessened by such caloric restriction. 

In my fitness world, I believe that there are certainly viable candidates for gastric bypass surgery. I feel that any surgery, be it for beauty enhancement or appearance, can help one boost their self-esteem and body image. Part of my job is to make people feel good about what they see in the mirror. You can’t put a price on your health be it mental or physical. I have never passed judgement on this, and when I’m older I may want a face life or skin peel myself haha. Of course work still has to be put in with exercise and nutrition because there is no quick fix and long term success requires continuing a healthy eating and exercise regimen. As with any life decision, that is for each individual to make. As always, we just keep striving for progress, not necessarily perfection, one rep at a time.