Category: Gastric Bypass

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4 Things To Know About Gastric Bypass Dumping

We have all heard the term Gastric Bypass before, where your stomach is made smaller during surgery, while not allowing you to eat as much food. This surgery is done for those patients that are very obese and often, for health reasons, need to lose an extreme amount of weight. But there is another term, that happens after Gastric Bypass surgery, that some of us, unless you have been through surgery, are not so familiar with. This is Gastric Bypass Dumping. What is the body doing during this time of dumping? What are the symptoms? Why does it happen? And more importantly, how do we prevent Gastric Bypass dumping? These are all questions that will be answered within this article.

What is the body doing during Gastric Bypass Dumping?
Gastric Bypass Dumping is when food gets dumped from your stomach pouch, directly into your small intestine,without being fully digested. There is early dumping, which occurs 10 – 30 minutes after your meal and late dumping that occurs 1 – 3 hours after your meal.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms vary per person and per incident, depending upon if it occurs during early or late dumping. But, for the most part, symptoms that occur are: diarrhea, feeling lightheaded, cramping in the stomach/abdominal area, high blood pressure and a quick heartbeat.

Why Does Gastric Bypass Dumping Occur?
Early dumping syndrome occurs as the small intestine has undigested food particles dumped into it. The small intestine senses that it cannot digest this food, and thus the fluid from your bloodstream gets moved around to your small intestine, making it feel fuller and more bloated than usual. Diarrhea can occur during this time. And the fluids that are within the small intestine, can affect the heart rate and cause high blood pressure, giving way to feeling lightheaded, which could lead to possible fainting.

Late dumping syndrome occurs due to a decrease in blood sugar levels(reactive hypoglycemia). This often occurs after eating meals that are heavy in sugars and starches. The body then sends a message to the small intestine, along with an increase of insulin. This increases to a larger than normal insulin surge, where the body feels that it does not have to compensate as much, to make up for the sugar needed for the body to function, thus leading to a lower blood sugar level. When this occurs, you are probably going to feel weak, lightheaded and your heart rate will probably increase, leaving you with very little energy for daily activities.

How to Prevent Gastric Bypass Dumping?
There is not one person who wants to experience the symptoms that could occur during Gastric Bypass Dumping. So how do we prevent these symptoms from happening? Some of the ways are: eating as many as 6 small meals per day, which helps in dividing your caloric intake, eating less dairy, if it is noticeably causing issues, waiting at least 30 minutes following a meal before drinking liquids, laying down for at least 30 minutes or until the symptoms subside, following a meal, adding more protein and fat to your diet, choosing complex carbohydrates like whole grains, staying away from simple carbohydrates, like sugar or white flour and some experts agree that making your food thicker, will also slow down or eliminate Gastric Bypass dumping.

These are the basics of Gastric Bypass Dumping, the causes, symptoms and what can be done to help prevent it. So as you sit down at your dinner table and you have had Gastric Bypass surgery, think about your body and the changes it has just endured. Also, think about what can I do to help with the healing process and getting me back to my best self. There are many medical journals and other information about the subject out there, so that you can educate yourself and then make a decision on what works best for you. As always, following any surgery, if problems occur and persist, get to a medical professional as quickly as possible, to ensure that it is not anything serious. Gastric Bypass Dumping is not a term that we normally associate with, unless you have had the surgery itself. But it is something that could have happened to all of us and we were not aware of what was happening to our bodies.

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What Can I Eat Before Gastric Bypass Surgery

What Can I Eat Before Gastric Bypass Surgery

Losing weight can seem like a daunting task especially if you have a significant amount of pounds to shed or are battling a medical condition that makes the process even more difficult. If you have a BMI of more than 40, type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea, then Gastric Bypass Surgery might be the best option for you, especially if other diet and exercise strategies have proved to be ineffective. As with all types of surgery, it is imperative to prepare properly in order to ensure a successful procedure and begin to reap the benefits as soon as possible. Avoiding certain types of medication, quitting the use of tobacco products, drinking more water and changing your diet are some of the things you can do in the months and weeks leading up to your surgery. As the day of surgery nears, you will need to reduce your portions, severely cut down on the calories you take in and limit the types of food you eat. The main purpose behind lowering your calorie intake is to reduce the size of your liver and decrease the chances of developing complications during and after. Below are a few foods that are safe to eat before you go in for gastric bypass surgery:

  1. Lean Protein

Lean protein from sources such as beef, chicken, fish, pork and vegetarian sources are recommended prior to your gastric bypass surgery. These foods help to keep you fuller for longer, reducing the chances that you will reach for unhealthy snacks which may sabotage your weight loss. Eating lean protein also helps to raise your metabolism as protein requires more energy to digest than other food sources which helps your body burn more calories and ultimately contributes to your weight loss. Finally, lean proteins help to repair tissues damaged from exercise, which improves your recovery time and allows you to return to your regime faster. Exercise is imperative in the months leading up to surgery as a way to help you lose weight faster.

 

  1. Fruits and vegetables

In addition to being chockfull of healthy vitamins and minerals which help you stay energized during a weight loss program, fruits and vegetables contain fibre which helps you stay fuller for longer and thus aids in appetite control. A word of caution however, it is important to avoid carbohydrate dense fruits and vegetables such as bananas, potatoes and others as these can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

 

  1. Whole grain products

Whole grain products such as oatmeal, brown rice, barley, millet and others serve the same purpose as lean protein and fruit and vegetables as they help you feel full and avoid eating extra calories that may lead to weight gain.

 

Foods to avoid

In addition to ensuring that you get adequate nutrition from healthy food sources, you should avoid certain foods that may slow down your weight loss and have other undesirable health effects. These include:

  • Nuts and seeds
  • Tough meats
  • Extremely fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, celery and cabbage.
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Fried foods
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • High carb foods such as breads, rice and pasta.
  • High fat foods

Ensure to drink plenty of water in order to keep hydrated and keep food moving easily through your digestive system.

 

2 Week Pre-op Liquid Diet

In order to reduce the fatty tissue around your liver even further, a liquid diet is recommended up to 2 weeks before your gastric bypass surgery. The liver and stomach are extremely close together and having an oversized liver may lead to complications with your surgery. The 2 week pre-op liquid diet must be followed strictly for maximum effect. Below are the elements of a liquid pre-op diet prior to gastric by-pass surgery:

  • Use of protein and meal replacement shakes.
  • Incorporation of solid free broth.
  • Avoidance of sweetened and carbonated drinks.
  • Use of vegetable juices instead of actual vegetables.
  • Limiting or avoiding caffeinated drinks altogether.
  • Drinking plenty of water (up to 16 ounces a day)

Important pre-op surgery tips

The following tips will dramatically improve the success of your gastric by-pass surgery:

  • Avoid eating or drinking anything up to 24 hours before the surgery.
  • Stop taking medications such as steroids, anti-coagulant drugs, birth control medications and replacement pills at least a week before surgery.
  • Stop smoking to reduce the risk of blood clots and other complications during surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery is an effective way for people who are unable to lose weight using conventional methods to shed extra pounds. In addition, it can be a potentially life changing procedure for people who are experiencing complications from obesity or those who are extremely overweight. However, it is important to prepare properly in the weeks and months leading up to the surgery and ensure that you lose some weight as well as clear your stomach prior to having the procedure. Following a few simple strategies and a strict calorie controlled diet should significantly improve the chances of your surgery’s success.

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What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery

Before figuring out your gastric bypass expected weight loss, it is important to understand what it is. Gastric bypass surgery is a medical procedure known to many as bariatric surgery. It is literally creating a new digestive tract for your body in order to limit and control the food you can eat and the volume of calories your body is able to absorb during meal time. At its onset, bariatric surgery was considered to be drastic and rare. However, in time it has been accepted as an intervention that is timely especially in cases of extreme obesity.

Gastric bypass surgery aims to make the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. This will change a lot of your eating habits because you will feel full more quickly thus reducing the amount of food you eat and the amount of calories consumed. Because the food bypasses part of your intestine, fewer calories will be absorbed by your body and this will lead into further weight loss.

Types Of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery comes in two forms. These are;

1. Open surgery
This form takes a lot of time on the doctor and the patient’s part. Large incisions are made on the patient and the surgeon handles the stomach and the intestine to make a new digestive tract. Recovery period is also longer in this form.

2. Laparoscopy surgery
The surgeon will make 5 to 7 small incisions inside the body and using tiny tubes and a camera. The stomach is then filled with gas to help the surgeon see clearly through a monitor connected to the tiny camera inside the stomach. The surgeon then does his work through minimal invasive procedure. During this period, the patient is unconscious. The recovery time during Roux-en-Y bypass surgery as this procedure is called, is faster that is why it has earned preferential treatment among individuals. The one drawback however is that it can only be performed on patients who do not weight more than 350 pounds.

Preparing For Gastric Bypass Surgery
Because gastric bypass surgery makes it so that the body does not absorb nutrients as well, it is even more important than ever that patients follow a healthy diet. These diets will often be highly restricted in order for the patients to be able to lose weight, but will contain foods that are extremely healthy and loaded with the nutrients necessary for good health. Here is how you prepare for the surgery.

Before Gastric Surgery
Before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, you are going to have to make some lifestyle changes, beginning with your diet. You will probably be required to go on a very restricted diet prior to gastric bypass surgery, especially if you are considered too obese to have the procedure done safely. You may even be hospitalized in order for your diet to be constantly monitored, to make sure that when it is time for the surgery, you are ready and it can be performed as safely as possible.

Even though your diet will be restricted, it is still vital that you get the proper nutrition leading up to your surgery. If your diet is so restricted that you are not getting enough of certain nutrients that are necessary for good health, your physician may suggest that you use protein supplements. There are many protein supplements that are ideal for low-calorie diets and can be easily incorporated into your diet as you prepare for gastric bypass surgery.

It is also a good idea to start exercising before surgery. In order to successfully lose weight, you need to diet and exercise and even if you can’t do a lot at first, the longer you keep at it, the easier it is going to be and the more you will be able to do. The better shape you are in prior to the surgery, the faster the recovery process is going to be. And you will be more inclined to continue following the operation, which is essential. Using protein supplements is good for this, because of the energy the protein will provide and the effects protein has on muscles and their recovery.

After Gastric Surgery
After the surgery, you will be under observation and asked to perform several easy tests by a nurse to check on your progress. Usually a swallow test will be conducted to make sure that everything is all right. Once you have been discharged from the hospital, you will have follow up appointments to see how you have been post-surgery.

With that said, a number of people appreciate gastric bypass surgery because it has helped them change the way they live their lives. It has literally given them a new lease in life after suffering from obesity that seem to be impossible to get out of. Thanks to this procedure, more and more people are living healthy lives.

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2 Gastric Bypass Surgery Types

Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure in which the ultimate goal is to provide individuals with an opportunity to lose weight rapidly. For those who have been unable to lose weight fast enough or significantly enough through diet and exercise, this type of procedure can be a life-saving tool. It is thus important to learn about the different types of gastric bypass surgery before going for the procedure. Here is a look.

1. Biliopancreatic diversion bypass

It is an open surgery performed by making one large incision, which result in permanent scarring. It is a more complicated procedure and least preferred by the people. In this procedure, small portions of the stomach are removed and then bypass is attached to distal illium. It is not a widely used procedure as there is greater risk of nutritional deficiencies.

But before undergoing the surgery, make sure that you are a suitable candidate. Not everyone can undergo the surgery because it is a major procedure and there are significant risks and side effects and moreover you should permanently change your lifestyle.

2. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common form of gastric bypass surgery. It offers a good balance between the optimum level of weight loss and the least possible side effects. Effectively, the stomach is separated into two sections, using either staples or a band. The bottom part of the stomach is completely separated, so that it is no longer functional. The top section is reduced in size to approximately one ounce. Then this smaller section of the stomach is connected to the small intestine, bypassing the sealed off section of the stomach. Basically, reducing the size of the stomach in this way reduces the amount the patient can eat to approximately 1,000 calories a day or less. Most patients stop experiencing sensations of hunger, and these two factors combined lead to a large loss of weight.

This type of gastric bypass surgery involves making an incision across the abdomen, which enables the surgeon to lift up the skin and so have access to the stomach for reduction procedures. It’s generally expected that a patient who undergoes Roux-en-y bypass surgery will lose as much as 80 per cent of their excess body weight within a year of the operation being performed. The surgery can also provide other benefits, including reduction in the incidence of back pain, sleep apnea, depression, type II diabetes and high blood pressure.

It’s important to discuss the risks of any type of surgery with your surgeon before going ahead. Like any surgery, there is always a small risk of complications. Those who should consider undergoing any of the mentioned types of gastric bypass surgery must be severely obese to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. People who cannot maintain healthy weight with diet and exercise and are severely overweight should also consider this option. Those whose body mass index is 40 or above can undergo the surgery or those who are between 18-65 years. People above 65 have increased risk of complications after the surgery.
If you wish to undergo any of these surgeries, you must make sure that you are mentally stable, motivated and don’t depend on alcohol or illegal drugs. Also, those who committed to diet and exercise even after the surgery can consider undergoing it. You might experience complications if you don’t follow these.

Gastric surgery information can help the person considering this major procedure to understand all that is involved when choosing it. These types of surgeries change the size of the stomach, which also changes the amounts of food that can be consumed. They are offered to patients that want to lose weight and help prevent them from developing unhealthy disorders and diseases that are often associated with obesity. This weight loss surgery is the most commonly used weight loss procedure performed in the world. Physicians choose this procedure over others because of its low risks and its long-term effects on weight loss. Of course, there are some side effects and risks, like all surgical procedures and understanding the above gastric bypass surgery information can help patients when making the decision to choose this surgical procedure. Make sure you consult your doctor before going for any of the above mentioned surgeries.

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Does Gastric Bypass Work

Have You Ever wondered If Gastric Bypass Really Works?

If you’re seriously overweight and want to do something about it, then you may have come across the idea of gastric bypass surgery. It certainly has been shown to be a great way of losing a lot of weight. However, you need to realize that this is a major surgical procedure, and so shouldn’t be undertaken on a whim. And to answer the question whether this procedure works or not, it is important to understand how this surgical procedure works.

How it works

The surgeon will first administer a general anesthesia before making a tiny incision in which to use a laparoscope to complete the surgical procedure. From here the surgeon will make an incision and begin to create a small pouch in your stomach which will act as your new stomach. He will then reroute some of your digestive tract in order to change the rate of absorption of vitamins and fats.

After all of this has been accomplished, the surgeon will then close up the incisions with stitches and move you in to post op recover where you can be observed for a few hours before sending you to your hospital room. You will then be stuck on an all liquid diet in which you will be continuously monitored to retain your health. The amount of time you spend in the hospital all comes down to your ability to follow the new diet and procedure which are to become part of your new lifestyle.

It is important to note that any person who is contemplating having a gastric bypass procedure done must understand that in doing so they will have to completely change their lifestyle and eating habits. The patient will need to exercise more and make a continuous effort to ensure that the weight loss is a success. Furthermore, they will have to continue with these changes well after they have lost the weight as it is completely possible to gain it all back.

Does it work?

Yes it does. Gastric bypass effectively, separates your stomach in two. By partitioning your stomach into 2 pieces, the lesser of the two is at the top, the patient will feel fuller faster, and will eat only tiny quantities of food. This will happen as the product of the stomach, after the operation being significantly smaller.

One thing you should also realize is that gastric bypass has to do more with protecting your health then improving the way you look. Numerous overweight people soon become aware that losing weight with any system is very demanding and presents almost no fast satisfaction. It is very difficult to drop even a few pounds, not to mention the amount that most overweight people taking into consideration gastric bypass should lose. By way of this weight loss method, the body really does lose weight fast, basically for the reason that you are incapable to eat as large servings as you used to.

Straight after gastric bypass surgery, it’s important to stick to the guidelines you’re given about what you can and can’t eat. This is because the stomach needs to heal properly after the operation. As your stomach heals, you will gradually be able to increase the amount of food you eat. By the time 12 to 18 months have passed, your stomach will be functioning at its optimum level. For most people, this translates into eating around 4 to 6 ounces of food at a meal. Most patients are also encouraged to stick with an intake of around 1,200 and 1,800 calories. The success of gastric bypass surgery is based almost entirely on the fact that the amount of food you can eat changes completely.

Nearly all of the people that have undergone gastric bypass are going to eat more tiny meals as a substitute for a few larger meals. By gathering as much gastric bypass information before deciding whether it is right for you or not, you will significantly speed up your weight loss and you are going to really lose a substantial amount of excess pounds.

So in the end, if you have attempted to drop a significant number of pounds with other techniques and was unable to succeed, gastric bypass might just be the answer to all your weight problems.