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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Gastric bypass surgery is among the most popular bariatric surgery, with the number of those who are choosing to undergo the procedure doubling since 2001 to 2003. The American Society of Bariatric Surgery, estimates the number to be 140,000 annually. This procedure is primarily done to resolve issues of morbid obesity and the diseases associated with it.

In gastric bypass surgery, a small pouch is created in the stomach. This small pouch is stapled and the small intestines upper portion is also attached to this small pouch. The middle section of the small intestine is attached to the rest of the stomach. Food will bypass the rest of the stomach and the rest of the small intestine. Te stomach will be in smaller size which would make it full faster. Less calories will be absorbed.

This procedure would require diet change. Since the digestive system is altered or shortened, every food intake would be valuable. Some common side effects brought by the surgery is nutritional deficiency like anemia and osteoporosis. This is why it is important for patients to follow a different diet and take mineral and vitamin supplements.

The special gastric bypass diet would make sure that weight loss will be maintained over time. It would normally involve high protein food. Foods high in protein would ensure that new tissues are being built and the wounds are healing properly. Ideal high protein foods will be low in fat like red meat, chicken or turkey without skin, fish, eggs and cottage cheese.

Sugar and fat is among the foods that are avoided. Gastric bypass diet would involve food low in sugar and fat. Sugary foods are high in calories and fat. Fat is difficult to digest. Consuming too much sugar could also result to the Dumping syndrome that has nausea, dizziness, vomiting, sweating, and diarrhea as symptoms. The body could also react the same way to too much fat. Foods with too much fat and sugar, anyway, do not have sufficient nutrients that would be essential to the body.

Foods high in fiber are also limited in gastric bypass diet. Fibers could block the stomach, small intestine and would require more gastric acid to digest it. A doctors approval is needed before ingesting any laxative or fiber pills.

This change is not done immediately. There are stages in a gastric bypass diet. Clear liquids would be the first stage. For the first two days, clear liquids like water, sugar-free juice, clear broth and no fizz soda are consumed in small amounts. Within the first two weeks, low-fat, high protein liquids are ingested. It is important to also take chewable multivitamins during this stage.

Doctors would determine when would be the suitable time for the patient to progress to soft or puree diet. Some would be able to eat after two weeks, while others would have to wait longer than that. Some people who are in this stage would sometimes resort to eating strained baby foods. While others would prefer eating soft foods like scrambled eggs, low-fat cheese, blenderized lean meats, etc.

Two months after the surgery, the patient could now start eating regular diet, starting with high-protein food. Food consumed should be in small amounts. Remember that the stomach is reduced in size. After the gastric bypass, the stomach could accommodate about an ounce of food. Eventually, it could stretch and hold about 4 to 8 ounces or a cup to half a cup of food.

One thing that people should be conscious of would be overeating. Gastric bypass surgery can make the stomach smaller, however this does not affect the overall attitude to eating. People could result to overeating because of genetics or emotions. Lifestyle change is important. Overeating could cause regaining the lost weight, expansion of the pouch, and in worst cases rupture of the stomach.

There are many support groups, education, and counselling available to help deal patients with these difficulties.

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Getting a gastric bypass seems to have become somewhat of a choice these days. Nowadays, there’s an increasing desire for that perfect body. Images of slim, toned bodies bombard us daily on every media outlet. The thing is, having that perfect body won’t just help you catch the eyes of everyone but also help out your health big-time. Obesity is more than just being overweight it has incredible detrimental effects on your life and weight problems can cause your body trouble down the line. Some of the diseases associated with obesity are: diabetes, hypertension, migraines, and a dozen other liver and heart diseases.

There are a lot of ways to shed all of those unwanted pounds: dieting and exercise are probably two of the simplest and easisest ways to do so. Those two choices only require an investment of some time and discipline to get you to a fighting trim. Unfortunately, sometimes people don’t have the time to do so, or are suffering from conditions that make exercise or dieting a bit of a no-no or, at worst, make these approaches totally ineffectual. So, if you’ve been failed by these options, what are the choices that you have left? Well, there’s surgery.

When we think of weight-loss surgery, we usually think of liposuctions. That would be a complete misrepresentation of the process. Weight-loss surgery is a lot different from weight-reduction surgery, which is what liposuction is liposuction is actually not even actual surgery. Operations or procedures that reduce weight do only a temporary reduction of your body weight while weight-loss surgery aims to make changes in your body that would make weight loss a possibility and something that can be maintained. A gastric bypass can do this, as long as it is combined with behavioral changes.

What exactly happens during a gastric bypass? Well, in simple terms, a doctor finds a way for your stomach to be made smaller. The complicated explanation is that a doctor creates a small pouch for you near the opening of your stomach and connects that pouch directly to your small intestine essentially making your food skip over a large part of your stomach and small intestine. This makes it so that you don’t absorb that much calories from your food, and it also makes your stomach hold a lot less food. Less calories and smaller intakes are what essentially drives you to lose weight after a gastric bypass. After the procedure, you’ll be in the hospital for three to five days, though there are some variations of the procedure that make that already short stay, even shorter.

Sounds all right doesn’t it? However, like all surgeries, it is still a major surgical operation that can affect the way you live. It should not be understaken unless it has been fully considered. You won’t be eating anything for three days after the surgery and you’ll be on a strict diet afterwards eating too much will literally hurt you. Your body adjusting to the lower energy intake also takes its toll.

A gastric bypass is not a miracle cure-all but it can help a lot. So think long and hard before you do it.

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Obesity is worldwide problem. There are millions worldwide who are suffering from this disease. In the United States, there are about 12.5 million children and adolescents who are overweight. Children are also suffering from the diseases associated with obesity and disease traditionally seen only in older people, like diabetes and heart disease. Because of these health problems, they are looking for weight-loss options and gastric bypass surgery is one of them.

Gastric bypass surgery is not the popular among the young population though. About 1% of those who undergo the procedure are teens according to the survey reported in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in March 2007. There is a relative increase on the number of teens undergoing the procedure, but still remains unpopular or uncommon.

Sadly, obese children think that they are living a kind of life like those who have cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, according to the survey done by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Teens suffering from obesity would deal with being teased, socially not accepted, and unable to participate in social activities.

Not all obese teens are recommended to undergo gastric bypass surgery. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004, there are guidelines that should be considered before a teen or an adolescent is recommended for gastric bypass or any weight-loss surgery:

Failed to lose weight by any organized attempt of weight management for the last six or more months, with an assistance of a doctor.

Have reached a physiological and skeletal maturity. Adolescents that have reached an age (or older) of 13 years old for girls and 15 years old for boys have reached this level of maturity.

Has a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 associated with severe obesity-related problems. Has body mass index of more than 50 even though there are no serious obesity-related problems.

There are medical and physiological examinations and evaluations performed before the surgery, the teen undergoing that should be prepared to handle these evaluations.

In general, those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery are advised to avoid pregnancy at least two years after the surgery. This is to avoid any complications and increasing risk to the fetus because of drastic weight loss. Anybody, not only teens, should be aware and agree on this.

Prepared to follow strict dietary regulations after the surgery. There is a strict diet that patients should follow like low sugar, low fat, low-carbohydrates, and low-calories meal plans.

Have a supportive environment. Because of the dramatic change in their lifestyle, teens should have supportive family environment that will be able to guide them to the different changes. Often times, there are patients of weight loss surgeries who would suffer from different physiological and psychological side-effects, like depression. Families should be prepared in helping their children through these stages.

There are doctors who would say that conducting gastric bypass or other bariatric surgery on teen-agers are safer than conducting the procedure with adults. Teens have not developed any case of obesity-related problems like high blood pressure and heart disease which are common among adults and also increases the risks of surgeries. Teens also heal faster and required less time spent in the hospital.

There are many benefits by undergoing gastric bypass and weight-loss surgeries. Some patients would even report losing 5% of their weight within the first month and about 50 to 60% within a year. Associated obesity related problems are also reduced by having the surgery. However, not everybody is recommended to undergo the procedure.

Even a teen is required to have be able to make sound decisions, before undergoing surgery. Afterall, maturity does not come with age.

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