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What is Obesity? Frequently Asked Question (FAQ).
The following list of
frequently asked questions and answers are designed to assist you if you are
considering weight-loss surgery:
What is Weight-Loss
Surgery?
How do I Know if I Am a
Candidate for Weight-Loss Surgery?
What Are My Options for
Weight-Loss Surgery?
How Much Weight can I
Expect to Lose?
What Are the Risks or
Complications Associated with Surgery?
How Do I Know Which
Surgery Is Right for Me?
How Much Do the
Procedures Cost? Will Insurance Cover It?
Will Weight-Loss
Surgery Improve My Health?
What Should I Ask about
My Physician's Qualifications?
What is Involved in Preparing
for the Surgery?
How Long Will It Take
for Me to Recover?
How Will My Diet
Change?
How Will My Life
Change after Surgery?
What is Weight-Loss
(Obesity) Surgery?
Weight-loss surgery alters
the body's digestive process by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold
and/or by limiting the absorption of nutrients. The most common procedures are
restrictive, malabsorptive or a combination of both procedures. Restrictive
procedures reduce the amount of food the stomach can hold, but don't interfere
with the body's normal digestion of food and nutrients. Malabsorptive procedures
bypass a portion of the small intestine so that fewer calories and nutrients are
absorbed. Combined procedures restrict food intake as well as the amount of
calories and nutrients the body absorbs. For description of the different
procedures check obesity surgery. (Top)
How do I Know if I Am a
Candidate for Weight-Loss Surgery?
Candidates are at least 100
pounds overweight. That translates to a body mass index of 40 or over. You
should have previously attempted to lose weight through traditional methods,
including dieting, nutritional counseling and commercial or hospital-based
weight-loss programs. Candidates may have a body mass index of 35 and over if
they have medical problems that are associated with obesity, such as
hypertension and diabetes. To calculate your BMI click here.
People with an inflammatory
disease, severe heart or lung disease, esophageal, stomach or intestinal
problems, cirrhosis or who are pregnant are not candidates. for more information
on qualifying go to Obesity Surgery Qualification
Process
(Top)
What Are My Options for
Weight-Loss Surgery?
The most common
operations are adjustable open Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. With both
procedures, the size of the area in stomach where food collects is reduced and
a portion of the small
intestine is bypassed limiting absorbtion.
The Laparoscopic procedure is less invasive than
the open gastric
bypass.
During (Roux-en-Y) Gastric
Bypass, a surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach using staples.
The small intestine is then rearranged and connected directly to the pouch,
creating a bypass of the small intestine. More on our
Obesity Surgery page.
(Top)
How Much Weight can I
Expect to Lose?
That depends on the procedure
and the individual. With the gastric bypass procedure, weight loss
progresses steadily over a 1 to 2 year period and then stabilizes. The final
result is usually between 60 percent and 70 percent of the excess weight.
After gastric bypass surgery,
weight loss usually exceeds 100 pounds or up to 70 percent of the excess body
weight, but it generally levels off in one to two years. A regain of up to 10
percent of your excess body weight is common.
Ultimately, one's goal weight
should be determined by the individual with his surgeon.
(Top)
What Are the Risks or
Complications Associated with Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Open Gastric Bypass is performed
through a larger incision and abdominal wall retractors to create space to work.
By reducing the size of the surgical incision and the trauma associated with the
operative exposure, the surgical insult has been shown to be much less after
laparoscopic surgery compared to open Gastric Bypass.
A
limitation of the laparoscopic approach is the steep learning curve of this
technically challenging procedure for the surgeon. Risks and complications are
much reduced if operated by a surgeon specialized in this laparoscopic surgery technique.
4 Up to 5 percent of patients undergoing
open gastric bypass may
experience leaking, bleeding, wound infection or blockage in an artery in the
lungs.
In both cases, because a portion of the digestive tract is bypassed, the
absorption of essential nutrients is reduced and medical complications can
result. (Top)
How Do I Know Which
Surgery Is Right for Me?
A patient's medical history
and weight are used to determine which surgery is the best option. It is
important to talk with your doctor and surgeon to decide if another procedure
besides Gastric Bypass is right for you. First step is to complete the
pre-application form. (Top)
How Much Do the
Procedures Cost? Will Insurance Cover It?
Weight-loss procedures cost
from 20,000 to 40,000 dollars in USA.
However, these surgeries are
not commonly covered by all insurance.
The cost of surgery in Brazil
is significantly lower while performed with highest standards often not found in
other hospitals. More on our Obesity Surgery in
Brazil program.
(Top)
Will Weight-Loss
Surgery Improve My Health?
Weight-loss surgery can
eliminate or improve most obesity-related medical complications, including
diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, reflux and
osteoarthritis, as well as stress incontinence, dermatitis, muscle and joint
pain. Improvements in body image and a reduction in the symptoms of depression
have also been reported. Weight loss may also be associated with improved
fertility and more favorable pregnancy outcomes.
(Top)
What Should I Ask about
My Surgeon's Qualifications?
Find out how many years of
experience they have in the field, the number of operations they have performed
and how many times they have performed a specific procedure. The surgeon you
choose should be experienced with the procedure you are considering.
Discuss surgeon's commitment
to follow-up, because weight-loss surgery often involves lifetime follow-up. The
surgeon should be working with all of the aspects of obesity management and assessment in
a clinical, multidisciplinary setting. The affiliate hospital, office
facilities and hotel should be able to accommodate large patients and be able to support
all of the components of weight loss program. Click here for
Dr. Roberto Rizzi's clinical, multidisciplinary team.
(Top)
What is Involved in
Preparing for the Surgery?
First, a medical and
psychological screening process, performed by a several members of the surgeon's
team, will determine
if you are a candidate. This process helps to identify the aspects of your
health that will improve following surgery, as well as the aspects that may
increase the risks associated with surgery.
You will also want to come to
a complete understanding of the significant, lifelong, lifestyle changes you
must commit to, including diet, exercise, limiting alcoholic intake and smoking
cessation, if necessary. Read more about Pre-Surgery
Activities (Top)
How Long Will It Take
for Me to Recover?
That depends on the
procedure. Patients who undergo laparoscopic adjustable gastric bypass tend to
stay in the hospital for a little more than one day, while the average hospital
stays for patients who undergo open gastric bypass is closer to three
to four days.
Recovery times differ too. In
one study, patients returned to normal activity in about one week after
laparoscopic gastric bypass and over 21 days after open gastric bypass. read
more about Post Surgery activities.
(Top)
How Will My Diet
Change?
Immediately following
adjustable gastric bypass only sips of water are allowed. Over the next two
weeks, the consumption amount is increased gradually with fluids in the form of
water and liquids, such as clear broth, skim milk and low-calorie (fruit) juices. You will need to watch how many calories you eat and limit
your liquid intake to avoid nausea and vomiting. Low-fat pureed foods,
protein-rich chicken and fish, mashed potatoes and peas are started three to
four weeks after the operation.
After 12 weeks regular, healthy foods
will be allowed. Vitamin supplementation
may be necessary. (Top)
How Will My Life
Change after Surgery?
You will need to adopt a
healthy lifestyle, including a new nutrition plan and regular exercise.
Because of the decrease in
food intake, constipation may occur. A laxative may be recommended.
You may want to consider or
may require reconstructive (cosmetic) surgeries after your weight stabilizes.
Medications can be prescribed
as needed. However, your doctor may tell you to avoid aspirin and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, which can irritate the stomach.
(Top)
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