Alma Orozco is a certified patient coordinator of the Ready4Achange team at Monterrey, Mexico. If you are NOT leading a normal life due to your weight, its time to think about other alternatives. Weight Loss Surgery is one of those options.
Keywords: controlling obesity, obesity problem, How to control obesity?
How is Lap Band Different From Gastric Bypass?
Morbidly obese people generally find it difficult to lose weight using traditional weight loss methods. Such people choose to either gastric bypass or lap band surgery methods, which helps in reducing considerable amount of body fat.
Before performing any kind of surgery, your doctor will check your health history, your body mass index and other physical health conditions to make sure whether you are fit enough for surgeries or not.
Gastric bypass surgery, most commonly known as stomach stapling involves stapling off a large portion of the stomach so that the stomach size is greatly reduced. It involves cutting and stapling a small piece of the stomach so that it becomes separate from the other portion.
Gastric Bypass Weight loss surgery makes the stomach smaller and thus allows the food to bypass the small intestine. A person after surgery feels much contained while eating and less consumption means less calories. During normal food digestion, as food passes through the stomach and enters into the small intestine, most of the calories and nutrients are absorbed there. However, in case of gastric bypass surgery, the food bypasses the small intestine and hence the body absorbs less of nutrients.
In case of lap band surgery, an adjustable band of silicone is placed around the top part of the stomach. The band is filled with salt water or saline and can be adjusted like a belt so you feel full faster. This band creates a small upper pouch, which serves as a new stomach. It is then connected to a port just under your skin. This allows your surgeon to adjust the band anytime after surgery until it perfectly fits you. When your lap band system is properly adjusted, you won’t feel hungry all the time. As you will feel full faster, so you will eat lesser and lose weight in a natural way.
The most obvious difference is that the band can be adjusted after surgery as per your requirement. Because lap band surgery is minimally invasive, the scars are minimal compared to gastric bypass surgery. Patients usually have less pain, shorter hospital stays and a shorter recovery period.
The lap band surgery for loosing weight has fewer risks and side effects compared to gastric bypass surgery. It is considered as least invasive surgery because it requires no cutting, stapling or re-routing of the stomach.
Recovering time after lap banding is usually three to five days. Although initial weight loss is slower with the band than with bypass, the patients of both procedures typically report similar amount of weight after few years.
Cost of both surgeries vary depending upon the place where the surgery occurs, the type of procedure and how long you are required to stay in a hospital. Lap band surgery typically costs less than gastric bypass surgery.
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass as the name suggests is the Gastric Bypass surgery done by laparoscopic technology. Gastric Bypass, also known as Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is a bariatic surgery in which most of the part of the stomach is surgically stapled across the top to form a small stomach pouch as small as a walnut. This pouch is then connected to the small intestine, bypassing a large portion of small intestine. This causes the bypass of a major portion of the stomach and the duodenum. The food directly enters the jejunum. Thus, this process involves both the restrictive as well as malabsorption processes. Although food is not lower part of the stomach, it secretes digestive juices into small intestines and remains healthy.
Nowadays most of the surgeons perform this operation by using the laparoscope. It is a small tubular instrument with a camera attached through short incisions (4-5) in the abdomen. The tiny camera on the top of the scope allows the surgeon to see inside the abdomen. This is known as Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass.
But it should be remembered that everyone is not a candidate for laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. If one is in the age group of 18-60 years, the BMI of the person should be 40 or more, and have diabetes or hypertension then you may be a candidate for this type of surgery provided all the weight loss treatments have been tried and lost. If one is over 60 years of age and already have had a surgical procedure for weight loss take nicotine in any form then you are not an ideal candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric bypass surgery. In any case a proper pre-operative evaluation is required by the surgeon before he declares one as a candidate for this procedure.
There are many benefits attached with Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass but the most important one is that it drastically reduces the complications which might occur during an ‘open’ surgery. One experiences less pain and faster healing after the surgery. There is a huge weight loss in the first year after surgery, which makes other medical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease easier to treat or they may be eliminated all together. Laparoscopy reduces the changes of development of hernias.
Since the stomach pouch is reduced to the size of a walnut, during the first six months of the surgery, it is important to not to eat very fast or too much as it may cause vomiting or intense pain. During the first three to six months of the surgery one may experience body aches, tiredness, felling cold, dry skin, hair thinning and hair loss and mood changes due to rapid weight loss. One may experience It may take some time to get into a new diet and exercise regime. After about two years of this surgery one may expect to lose around 50-60 % of the excess weight.
Alma Orozco is a certified patient coordinator of the Ready4Achange team at Monterrey, Mexico. If you are NOT leading a normal life due to your weight, its time to think about other alternatives. Weight Loss Surgery is one of those options.
Keywords: controlling obesity, obesity problem, How to control obesity?
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.
Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery – India provides finance options
Gastric Sleeve Surgery in India is available at various obesity treatment hospitals at Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and New Delhi for an affordable price. Obesity is one of the most common diseases today. Obesity is increasing at a rapid pace all over the world. To control obesity or to cure people of this health condition, surgical procedures designed for the purpose have been gaining acceptance. Gastric Sleeve Surgery in India is gaining fast momentum and becoming popular worldwide because the price is much cheaper in India. With Obesity on the rise in India and other parts of the world, this surgical procedure is gaining acceptance all over the world. The reason why India is a favorable destination is its fine treatment infrastructure and technology which is at par with those in USA, UK and Europe. As the prices of Obesity Surgeries skyrocket in North America and Europe, various Medical Tourism Companies in India provide health recovery loans and easy payment options.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery in India is a relatively new bariatric procedure. But quickly it is becoming a popular weight loss surgery option. Seeing the preliminary results of this surgery, some doctors claim that in the future it may become a very common bariatric surgery if not, the most popular one. Gastric Sleeve is a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is reduced to about 15% of its original size by surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach, following the major curve. The open edges are then attached together (often with surgical staples) to form a sleeve or tube with a banana shape. The procedure permanently reduces the size of the stomach. The procedure is performed laparoscopically and is not reversible. Gastric Sleeve is usually performed on extremely obese patients, with a body mass index of 40 or more, where the risk of performing a gastric bypass or duodenal switch procedure may be too large.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery in India is priced at a fraction of cost compared to the same surgery procedure in countries like U.K. and the U.S.A. This surgery is performed under the supervision of skilled and reputed panel of Surgeons. India has some of the best hospitals and treatment centers in the world with the best facilities. It is performed by highly skilled surgeons. The weight loss surgery clinics in India benefit from a large staff of world class experts and the ultra-competitive cost advantage it offers. India has some of the best hospitals and treatment centers in the world with the best facilities. You will get more details of Gastric Sleeve Surgery in India at http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com or mail at enquiry@forerunnershealthcare.com
Gastric Bypass Surgery And Weight Loss
Gastric bypass (also called bariatric surgery) closes off a large portion of the stomach, leaving only a pouch the size of an egg. Gastric bypass works by restricting food intake. Patients feel full after eating small amounts of food. Fewer calories are eaten and weight is lost. Gastric bypass patients typically lose 70% of their excess weight, most of it in the first year after surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery combines the creation of a small stomach pouch to restrict food intake and construction of bypasses of the duodenum and other segments of the small intestine to cause malabsorption (decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food).
There are two types of gastric bypass surgery: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) and extensive gastric bypass (biliopancreatic diversion).
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common gastric bypass procedure performed in the U.S. First, a small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together or by vertical banding. This limits how much food you can eat. Next, 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 the jejunum. This causes reduced calorie and nutrient absorption. This procedure can now be done with a laparoscope (a thin telescope-like instrument for viewing inside the abdomen) in some people. This involves using small incisions and generally has a more rapid recovery time.
In extensive gastric bypass – a more complicated gastric bypass operation – the lower portion of the stomach is removed. The small pouch that remains is connected directly to the final segment of the small intestine, thus completely bypassing both the duodenum and jejunum. Although this procedure successfully promotes weight loss, it is not as widely used because of the high risk for nutritional deficiencies.
Gastric bypass operations that cause malabsorption and restrict food intake produce more weight loss than restriction operations, which only decrease food intake. People who have bypass operations generally lose two-thirds of their excess weight within 2 years.
There are risks associated with gastric bypass surgery. People who undergo this procedure are at risk for: pouch stretching (stomach gets bigger overtime, stretching back to its normal size before surgery), band erosion (the band closing off part of the stomach disintegrates), breakdown of staple lines (band and staples fall apart, reversing procedure), leakage of stomach contents into the abdomen (this is dangerous because the acid can eat away other organs), nutritional deficiencies causing health problems.
Gastric bypass operations also may cause “dumping syndrome,” whereby stomach contents move too rapidly through the small intestine. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, and, occasionally, diarrhea after eating, as well as the inability to eat sweets without becoming extremely weak. Gallstones can occur in response to rapid weight loss. They can be dissolved with medication taken after the surgery.
The limited absorption of vitamin B12 and iron can cause anemia. The lack of calcium absorption can cause osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. People who undergo this procedure are required to take nutritional supplements that usually prevent these deficiencies. The more extensive the bypass operation, the greater is the risk for complications and nutritional deficiencies. People who undergo extensive bypasses of the normal digestive process require not only close monitoring, but also lifelong use of special foods and medications.
Low carbs, the bottom line: you may lose weight quicker on a low-carbohydrate diet than on a diet to cut calories. However, don’t expect to lose as much weight as diet books say you will and remember that the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and osteoporosis for people on low-carb diets have not been tested. There’s plenty of research that shows the way to go is moderation in eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, and low-fat dairy products.
Get the latest information about gastric bypass surgery as it relates to your health.

