Gastric Bypass Surgery And Depression
There are numerous studies showing us how gastric bypass surgeries have improved the lives of those who suffer morbid or severe obesity. Patients who have underwent the procedure were able to lose about 50 to 60 percent of their weight a year after a surgery. Some would even report an astounding 80 percent weight loss after two years.
About 140,000 gastric bypass surgeries are conducted every year. Obese teens could also undergo the medical procedure as long as they are within the guidelines set. Those who are qualified to undertake the surgery should at least be 100 pounds overweight and failed to reduce weight in the last six months through monitored weight loss programs. But every coin has two sides. Gastric bypass surgery also has its downside.
Some patients would often report depression after the gastric bypass operation. Some of the patients would often pinpoint the procedure itself as depressing. While others think that it is the low-calorie diets triggering this depression. Gastric bypass patients are recommended to follow a special diet that would ensure them the best and sustained results. This special diet is about low-calorie, low-sugar and low-fat foods.
The Thinner Times website, stated that about 5 to 10 percent of deaths occurred to patients after the gastric bypass surgery. This happens just within a month or two since the procedure and the primary cause would be psychological challenges. To address this, experts recommend that adequate supplies of calories should be ingested daily.
There are studies showing that those who suffer depression and anxiety after the gastric bypass surgery is less likely to lose weight compared with mentally healthy people. There are many methods on how doctors and experts would know if their patients are mentally prepared for the surgery. There are medical centers who would employ or require their patients to undergo rigorous metal health evaluation.
A patient candidate for weight loss surgery is to undergo psychological evaluation to ensure that they are prepared mentally for the operation and the lifestyle changes that will follow after the surgery. If a person is found out to be suffering from depression prior to the surgery, they will not be automatically disqualified. Those who have history of drug and alcohol abuse are the ones who are disqualified.
Some medical centers would require patients with depression go through treatment before gastric bypass surgery. Treatment could include taking of antidepressants, psychotherapy, and help from their family, friends and support groups.
It is not uncommon to find weight loss surgery candidates to suffer from depression, since they would have to deal with being ostracized because of their weight. Candidates for weight loss surgery would oftentimes suffer from a history of depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress or panic/anxiety attacks.
Having mental health problems are not preventing people from getting the treatment that they need to improve their lives and their health. Just like in any other surgery, it is important to gain support from friends and family to recover well and to get the desired results. Gastric bypass surgery would require a lot of change in lifestyle, it could be difficult but having loved ones will help a patient get through with it.
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Gastric Bypass Diet: Dos and Donts
According to studies, gastric bypass surgery can help get rid of excess body weight by as much as 90 percent. Sounds too good to be true, right? But thats possible if a patient follows a strict diet plan to avoid regaining weight and to enjoy the full benefits of the surgery. The aftermath of the surgery requires certain lifestyle changes, and that include eating habits. Make sure you get the proper nourishment you need by following these guidelines.
1. Follow your physicians or dieticians recommendations on vitamin and mineral supplements after the surgery.
The surgery causes most of the stomach and part of the small intestines to be bypassed. This, in turn, causes your body to have difficulty taking in some nutrients, which leads to vitamin and mineral deficiency. To keep your body from losing its much-needed vitamins and minerals, make sure that you take proper supplements regularly. Usually, the supplements include multivitamins, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, among others.
2. Dont take huge meals.
That would defeat the very purpose of your surgery. Just because you have achieved weight loss, that does not mean you can go back to binging or other unhealthy eating habits. Rememberfollowing the surgery, your stomachs volume has been reduced. Your tummy can hold only 1 ounce of food. Overeating wont do your tummy any good. Aside from adding unnecessary calories, eating too much can cause body pains, vomiting, and dizziness.
Be sure that you eat only small amounts of food. Follow your doctors recommended food amounts. Soon after the surgery, you can eat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food in every meal. And before you feel full, resist the urge of taking another bite.
Over time, your stomach stretches and can contain more food. Thus, you can adjust your food intake as time progresses.
3. Chew up thoroughly.
Make your digestive systems job easier by chewing your food thoroughly. Why do you need to do so? After the surgery, the small opening between your stomach and your small intestine may be blocked by large pieces of food. When that opening is blocked, food will remain in the stomach and will not be able to pass through the small intestine. This will definitely cause nausea, pain in the abdomen, and vomiting.
Dont swallow food that you cannot chew well. To make eating easier and more comfortable, take smaller bites and chew them until their texture becomes pureed before swallowing.
4. Dont eat and drink like theres no tomorrow.
Avoid eating too fastthis will only lead to sweating, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. These are the symptoms of dumping syndrome, a condition wherein foods enter the small intestine quickly and in abnormally large amounts.
You must eat and drink slowly. Eating a meal should take at least half an hour, while drinking 1 cup of liquid should take half an hour to one hour. Also, avoid foods that have high sugar and fat content.
5. Dont drink liquids while eating.
Drink only before or after your meals. Otherwise, you will feel the symptoms of dumping syndrome. In addition, drinking liquids with meals make you feel full immediately, and this stops you from eating more nutrient-rich foods.
6. Try one new food at a time.
After your gastric bypass surgery, avoid eating just any food. Certain foods and beverages like milk, soda, meat, rice, and pasta may cause pain, nausea, vomiting. Try just one food at a timeand if it causes discomfort, do not eat it.
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What You Gain and Lose from Gastric Bypass Surgery
Obesity is a serious health problem across the globe. That is why a number of methods, techniques, and technologies have been developed to help curb weight problems that usually lead to life-threatening diseases such as heart ailments and diabetes. One of the most popular weight loss strategies is gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that alters the digestive system (particularly the stomach) to restrain a persons food intake.
The results of the surgery are immediatea patient may lose 50 to 60 percent of his weight within two years following the surgery. With healthy lifestyle (including proper diet and regular exercise), one can expect weight loss in the long run after the surgery. Those who are overweight will experience easier mobility and better quality of life after undergoing weight loss surgery.
But theres more to this surgery than just weight loss. Aside from slashing off some figures from the weighing scale, the surgery also helps improve certain conditions that are often linked to obesity. These health problems include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood cholesterol, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Thus, people who have gone through weight loss surgery are less likely to develop cardiovascular problems than those who have not tried the procedure. Also, the surgery can lessen a patients possibility of death due to heart ailment, diabetes, or cancer.
Now for the not-so good news. Weight loss surgery is not for the faint of hearts. As with other kinds of surgeries, weight loss surgery leads to several complications. If you will go through this procedure, you need to know the risks before you head over the clinic or hospital. Being aware of what to expect after the surgery helps a lot in your recovery process. The most common complications of the surgery include infection, bleeding, and swelling. Other complications are ulcer, low blood sugar, kidney stones, gallstones, iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin D and B-12 deficiency. After the operation, a patient may also experience vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness especially when eating foods rich in sugar and fat. These are caused by a condition called dumping syndrome in which the contents of the stomach pass through the small intestine very fast.
There are certain postoperative risks that occur in rare cases but are severe and need immediate medical attention. The following are some of the complications and tips on how to deal with them.
1. Leak in the stomach
This is found at one of the staple lines in the stomach. The leak heals over time in most cases, though it can be treated using antibiotics. But severe cases require immediate surgery.
2. Thinning of the opening between the small intestine and stomach
This condition needs either a corrective surgery or a simple outpatient procedure wherein a tube is inserted through the mouth to make the opening wider.
3. Incision hernia or weakness in the incision
This complication happens if the surgery is an open procedure that involves a large incision on the abdomen. Incision hernia needs to be repaired through surgery depending on the severity of the condition.
4. Death
For every 200 to 300 weight loss surgeries, one case results in death. Although the risk of death has been linked to gastric bypass surgery, it still depends on many factors such as age and health and medical conditions.
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Top 10 Tips for Success after Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss procedure that results in major changes not only in the body, but also in ones lifestyle. To be able to adapt well to those changes, a patient needs to bear in mind these guidelines that ensure success after the surgery. Success means maintaining a healthy weight and preventing the possibility of regaining weight.
1. Avoid foods that are not nutritious. The culprits for weight gain are foods and liquids that are rich in calories, fat, and sugar. These include soda, milk shakes, alcohol, and sugar-rich desserts. These foods do not provide nutrients; instead, they cause hunger pangs and vomiting. Avoid them so that you do not out your weight loss effort to waste. Make sure that your diet is rich in protein, and include lots of fruits and vegetables.
2. Avoid foods that cause discomfort. Sticky, dry, and fibrous foods such as pasta, rice, bread, and meat are usually a no-no for bypass surgery patients. Soda is also not allowed because it causes bloating, gas pain, and even pressure in the stomach.
3. Avoid snacking between meals. This will only hurt your chances of keeping a healthy weight.
4. Avoid drinking liquids immediately before, during, or after meals. Filling your stomach with liquids instead of foods will deprive you of your much-needed nutrients for healing and recovery. Be sure to drink fluids at least 30 minutes before and after your meals. And of course, avoid drinking fluids while eating meals.
5. Refrain from drinking alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. Alcohol does more harm than good for people who have gone through weight loss surgery. Devoid of calories, alcohol can cause stomach ulcers. Caffeine have the same effect, aside from working against hydration in the body.
6. Contact your surgeon if problems arise. If you experience one or more of the following problems, call your surgeon immediately: extreme pain in the legs, shortness or difficulty of breathing, fever, bleeding of the incisions, and dark stools.
7. Maintain your follow-up visits after the surgery. This will make it easier for you and your surgeon to monitor and assess your progress. Also, this will result in early detection of problems such as surgical complications and nutritional deficiencies.
8. Keep yourself from getting pregnant for two years following surgery. Because your body is undergoing weight months after the surgery, it may not be able to support a baby. This will be unhealthy for both of you and the fetus. Ask your surgeon for advice in case you plan on getting pregnant.
9. Join a support group. Coping with the aftermath of the surgery may be much easier if you do it with the help of other people. There are many support groups formed to provide emotional support and advice for people who have undergone weight loss surgery. Search for these groups on the Internet; for sure, you can find one within or near your locality.
10. Find ways to cope with stress. Stress usually leads to comfort eating, which is not good for people who have had weight loss surgery. Listen to your favorite music, read books, meet up with friends, and do whatever you can to effectively deal with stress.
You will get the best results from gastric bypass surgery if you follow the guidelines mentioned above.
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