Weight loss surgery Questions and Answers

The questions answers asked by people thinking about having gastric band surgery, gastric bypass surgery or gastric sleeve surgery.

1. 1
WEIGHT LOSSSURGERY
THEFACTS THE
QUESTIONS THE
ANSWERS
ACOMPANION E-BOOK FOR
ANYONECONSIDERING
GASTRIC BAND,
GASTRIC SLEEVE,
OR
GASTRIC BYPASSSURGERY
www.gastricbandfrance.co.uk
Tel: -0033 686567031
BY
GEOFFLORD
Bacup
Lancashire,
England
OL13 9RD

2. 2
Copyright © 2005 to 2013 by Geoffrey Lord
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of
the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in
a book review.
Produced and written in the United Kingdom
Geoffrey Lord
Bacup,
Lancashire,
Ol13 9RD
England
DISCLAIMER
This book is not intended as a substitute for the
medical advice of qualified physician or Surgeon.
Readers of this book should regularly consult a
physician in matters relating to his/her health and
particularly with respect to any symptoms Pre and
Post Operatively that may require diagnosis or
treatment or other medical attention.

3. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
3
Contents
Copyright page 2
Disclaimer page 2
Introduction page 3
Resources page 6
Are You Obese? page7
The Questions and the Answers page 9
References page 13

4. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
4
Introduction
There are many questions
There many questions about gastric band surgery or
any other form of gastric or weight loss surgery
We have over the years managed to compile a list of
the most commonly asked questions from people
who have called our call centers or asked our
consultants before deciding to have gastric band or
gastric bypass surgery, or indeed any weight loss
surgery.
In this booklet we have tried to keep a simple and yet
informative format so that anyone can easily find the
answer to the most commonly asked questions we
are asked when people are serious about losing
weight by surgical means.
There will be many questions which we may not have
answered in this booklet, and it is essential that you
ask the consultants about any doubts or misgivings
which you may have before making your decision. So
we recommend that you make a note of them and
remember to ask the questions at some point in time
before thebig day arrives.
Remember, this is your body, your lifestyle and your
future, so make sure that you understand all of the
implications, the benefits, and the future changes

5. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
5
which you will undoubtedly have to make once you
have decided to go ahead with the surgery of your
choice.

6. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
6
Resources
You may find other answers and information on
companion websitesat:-
http://www.gastricbandfrance.co.uk
http://www.medicare-cosmetic-surgery.com/gastric-
info.htm
A blog for news and other related information can be
found here
http://gastricbandfrance.co.uk/blog/

7. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
7
AreyouObese?
Youareclassedasmorbidlyobeseifyourbody
massindex(BMI) betweenisaBMIof35and40
andifyouhaveariskfactorforan obesity-related
disease,youmayalsobeconsideredforobesity
surgery
Whatisobesitysurgery?
Obesitysurgeryisasurgicalprocedureforpeople
whohavetried everythingtoloseweightbuthave
notbeenabletodosoby normalmeanssuchas
diet andmanagedweightlossprogramsor fitness
training
TheHistoryofobesitysurgery?
Inrecentyears,obesitysurgeryhasgainedever
increasing popularityasanalternativetoweight
lossdiets.
Moreandmore peopleareturningtowardsthis
proceduretodecreasetheirexcess weight.

8. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
8
HowdoIloseweightsafely?
Manypeoplefeelthatweightlosssurgeryistoo
drasticameasure andtherisksassociatedwith
surgicalproceduresaretoogreat.
By choosingaHospitalorClinicwhichhasthe
benefitofHighly QualifiedSurgeonsand
ConsultantsyoucanminimizetheRisks involved.
Check that allofthesurgeonsat theregistered
ClinicsandHospitals areregisteredwiththeBritish
MedicalCouncilor the equivalentMedical Body of
the Country you are considering visiting, andthat
they arehighly experiencedinthisspecialistarea
ofgastricband,gastricsleeves, gastricballoons,
andgastricbypasssurgery.

9. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
9
HowisobesitysurgeryperformedatHospitals?
Obesitysurgeryisnotdesignedasaquicksolution
andrequiresa comprehensiveprogramwhich
includesthesupportandservicesof other
healthcareprofessionalssuchasdieticiansto
recommendthe long-termdiet plansandfitness
programswhicharethemost suitableforyou.
Gastricbandsurgeryinvolvesplacinganadjustable
gastricband (sometimescalledalapband)round
theupperpartofthestomach, whichrestrictshow
muchfoodthepatientcaneatbeforefeeling
Full.
TheGastricBand
This isusuallyinsertedusinglaparoscopic
(keyhole)surgery.It canthenbeadjustedtosuit
thepatient's weightlossorremovedaltogether
ifneeded.

10. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
10
GastricSleeveSurgery
This type of surgery issimilartothegastricband
surgerybutis notaseasilyreversibleasgastric
banding.

11. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
11
GastricBypasssurgery
Thisisamajoroperationforextremelyobese
patientswithalonghistoryofweightproblems
wherebythe Stomachisby-passedcompletely.

12. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
12
HowdoIknowifIam eligibleforobesity
surgery?
Youmaybe acandidateforgastricbandsurgeryif:
Youare18yearsofageorover
Previouslyattemptedweightlossin a
medically supervisedprogramwhichhas
subsequentlyfailed
YourBMIisgreaterthan40orbetween35
and40 withmajorobesity-relatedmedical
problems
Howdoesobesitysurgerywork?
Insimpleterms,thegastricband surgerylapband
restrictstheamountoffoodand drinkapatientcan
eator drink.Italsocreatesthefeelingofbeingfull
fastertherebyreducingthevolumeoffoodwhich
thepersonwill eatandfarlesscalories.
Becausethebandisadjustable thefeelingof
fullnesscanbecontrolledovertime which givesthe
patientandtheConsultanttheabilitytodecideon
anideal outcomeforthatparticularPatient.

13. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
13
Inbrief,what's involvedwithobesitysurgery?
Youwill usuallystayin hospitalforoneor
sometimes2 nightsfollowingtheoperation.
Youwillthereafterbe requiredtoattendanumber
ofpost-operative consultationswhichinclude
furthercounsellingtoensure the recommendeddiet
andweight controlregimeisbeing followed.
Anyadjustmentsrequiredarethenagreedupon
and discussedatthenextconsultation.This
ensuresthat theoutcomeissatisfactorythatthe
overallplancanbe adjustedastimegoeson.
A qualified practitioner will periodically“fill”the
adjustable band withsaline solution to adjust the
tightness of the band and thereby adjusting the
volume of food you can consumeat any meal.

14. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
14
Doesobesitysurgeryreallywork?
Obesitysurgeryoffersthechanceforimprovementin
Healthand well-being whenitisalsoaccompanied
bya changein eating,physicalactivity,and
lifestylepatterns.
Whatarethemain benefitsofobesitysurgery?
The mainbenefitsoflosingweight afterobesity
surgery include:
Type 2diabetesmaybecured(successfulin
80%of thecases)
The conditionhyperglycaemia,hyperinsulimia
and insulinresistancemaybe improvedafter
performinggastricbypass
High bloodpressureisgenerallycuredin over
50%of patients
Levelsofcholesterolaregenerallyreducedorthe
occurrenceoffurtherincreasesreduced
Sleepapnoeamaybe curedinupto75%ofthe
cases
Shortnessofbreathcanbeimprovedafter
gastric surgeryduetothelossofweight and
thegenerally improvedhealthofthepatient
Asthmasufferersgenerallyreportareduction
of attacksand in manycasesthiscanbe
completely eliminated.
Otherhealthbenefitsmayalsoincludethereliefof:
lower backpain,arthritis,heartburn,urinary
incontinence,etc.

15. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
15
Thereareofcoursemanyother benefits,someof
which arepsychological.Byreducingtheirweight
manypeople feelmuchbetterabouttheir
appearance.
Inadditionthey will be moreabletogainaccessto
variousactivitiesthey couldnot participatein
previously,likeswimming orgoing tothegym.

16. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
16
Is obesitysurgeryrightforeveryone?
Noteveryoneissuitableforgastricband surgery.
Thiscan onlybe determinedafteracomplete
evaluationand consultationbetweenthe specialist
andpatient.
Obesity surgeryisalife-changingprocedure.Itis
therefore imperativethatpatientsarecommittedto
makingthe changesneededforasuccessful
outcome.
A final consultationshouldalwaysoccurbetween
youand yoursurgeonbeforethedayofsurgery.
Atthistime you shouldbe preparedto askyour
doctortoprovideyouwith fullinformationrelatedto
the benefits,the risks, alternativesurgical
techniques,and anyotherquestion youyourselfare
notsureabout.
Itisrecommendedthatyouaskyourconsultantif it
is possibleforyoutotalktootherpatientswho
havehad gastricband surgerywithyoursurgeon
in thepast.
This ensuresthatyouhavetheopportunityto
decideifthisis therightHospitalorSurgeonfor
you.Theseprevious patientswill generallygive
youtheirownunbiased opinionoftheSurgeon,
Hospitaland aftercare.

17. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
17
Whataretherisks ofobesitysurgery?
Aswithallsurgicalprocedurestheydocomewith
the possibilityofcomplications,fortunatelythe
incidenceof complicationswithgastricband
surgeryisquitesmall. Onemustbearin mind
howeverthatthereis alwaysa slight riskofdeath
fromcomplicationsduringsurgerybut thisis
extremelyrare.
The post-operativehealthrisksofrestrictivegastric
band surgeryinclude:
Slippageoftheband-Thisand otherminor
problems canbe correctedquiteeasilyif an
earlydiagnosisis made.
Foodintolerances-Inafewcases,food
intolerances orin extremelyrarecases,
perforationofthe stomach,mayleadtothe
needforthebandtobe removed.
Internalbleedingandbloodclots–Thisriskis
generallyacceptedasbeinglessthan1%.The
most commonoccurrencebeingin thelegs
following surgery,howeverasthisisaknown
riskall surgeons will give youadvicepriorto
leavingthehospitalabout whattowatchoutfor.
Infections-Thereisasmallriskofinfectionin
the incisionareaif theprocedureisdoneby
open surgerywherethelaparoscopeisnot
used.
Pulmonaryproblems
Heartattack
Vomiting-The vomiting maydevelopwhenthe
small stomachpouchisstretchedbyfood
particlesthat havenot beenchewedwell.
Hernia-abdominalherniamayoccur.Thiscan
be causedbyvomiting orstraining following
surgeryand beforetheincisionhealswhere
opensurgeryhas beenperformed.Laparoscopy-
assistedsurgery greatlyreducesherniarisk.

18. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
18
Whatarethecomparativerisks ofsurgery
against therisks of obesity?
Mostpatientssufferingfrommorbidobesity must
ask themselvesand theirsurgeonthisquestion.
Dothe benefitsofobesitysurgeryoutweighthe
risks?Severe obesityisagenerallyacceptedas
beingaprogressive, chronic,lifethreatening
disease.Thereisthereforeno doubt thattheknown
healthrisksassociatedwithmorbid obesityfar
outweightherisksassociatedwithsurgery.
Howmuch weightwillIlose?Andwillthe
weight lossbequick?
The answerthisquestioncandependonwhich
typeof obesitysurgeryyouhave.Patientswho
haveadjustable gastricbanding procedures
usuallyloseweight more slowlythefirstyearthan
thosewhohaveagastric bypass,buttotalweight
lossiscomparablewithboth proceduresin the
longterm.
Youwill loseexcessweight duringthefirstyear
afteryour operation.Butitwill mostcertainlyrequire
youtochange youreatingand exercisepatternsto
ensurethatthe weight staysoff.Gastricband
surgeryin itselfisamajor lifestylechange.This
thereforerequiresthatyoufollowthe
recommendationsgiventoyoufollowingthe
surgery.

19. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
19
If foranyreasonyoudonotfollowthese
recommendationsthenyoumaystarttoregain
weight againand anybenefitsgained will be lost
overtime.
HowlongwillIhavetostayin thehospital
after surgery?
Thiswill dependonthetypeofobesitysurgeryyou
have. Generally,hospitalstaysarebetweenone
andthreedays.
WhatifIhaveexcessskin?
Asyoustartlosing weight,youmaynoticeexcess
skin. The amountofexcessskinyou havedepend
uponyour weight loss,yourageand smoking
habits.However,our hospitalsare abletooffera
completerangeofbody contouringand cosmetic
surgeryprocedurestohelp correcttheproblems
associatedwithdramaticweight loss.
HowlongwillIbeoffworkafterobesitysurgery?
Thisdependsonthetypeofweight losssurgeryyou
have. Followinggastricbanding surgery,youcan
returntowork in aboutoneweek.Onaverage,the
gastricbypass procedurerequirestwo tofourweek
recuperationafter thesurgery.

20. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
20
CanIbecomepregnantafterobesitysurgery?
Womenshouldwherepossibleavoidpregnancyfor
atleast18monthsfollowinganygastricsurgery.
Thisshould beoneofthequestionsyoudiscusswith
yoursurgeonif youhaveanypregnancyplans.
Howeveroncethisperiodisovermanyfindthat
where therehavebeenpreviousterminationsor
difficultiesin becomingpregnantthattheweight
losstheyachieve makesitmorelikelyforthemto
achieveassuccessin the future..
WillIhavetotakevitamins?
Yes,in mostcases.Whererequiredthesewill be
recommendedbyyoursurgeonorconsultant.The
number dependsonyourweight loss procedure.
The gastricbypassprocedurerequiresalifetimeof
vitamin supplementation-usuallythree
supplementsdaily.
Followinggastricband surgery you will be required
to take amultivitamineveryday.

21. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
21
Should Iexerciseafterobesitysurgery?
Formaintainingyourweight loss,regularexercise
is extremelyimportant.YourSurgeonor
Consultantwill be abletoofferadviceasapartof
yourpersonal recommendationsforfutureweight
lossmanagement
Whataboutdietarychangesafterobesity
surgery?
Setasidethreemealsadaywhenyouonlyeat
solid foods.Thiswill helpyoueatnutritiousmeals
ratherthan endlesssnacking.Endlesssnakingis
in manycasesthe problemthatbroughtyouhere
in thefirstplacesobe awarethataregularmeal
patternis farbetterforyou.

22. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
22
Eatslowlyand chewfoodsuntiltheyaremushy.
Also:
Allow30 -60minutesforeachmeal
Aimfor30chewsforeachbite.
Explaintopeoplewhyyoumusteatslowly
Takesmallbites.Tomakeiteasiertochew,cut
food intosmallsizesof assmallasabean,this
aidsthe digestivesystemtoworkmore
efficiently
Sitdownatatablewhereand avoidcrouching
over yourfoodasiscommonwhensittingin a
loungeorquiteoften during“TVMeal”.
Stopeating assoonasyoufeelfull.
If youeattoomuch youmaystartto feelsick.
Becausetheamountofspacein yourstomach
is reduced,donot eatand drinkatthe same
time.
Whenyougetthefeelingoffullness,stop
eating,evenif youhavenot finishedyour
meal.
Over eatingisoneofthethingsthatcaused
theproblemin the firstplace.

23. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
23
Whathappens ifIdon'tfollowthediet?
Obesitysurgeryissuccessfulin over80%ofcases.
The mainreasonitfailstheother20%isbecause
patientsdo not followthepost-surgerydietand
exercise recommendationsgiventothemfollowing
surgery.

24. THEGASTRICBANDSURGERYHANDBOOK
24
Find out more
If you would like to find out more about obesity
surgery, or arrange a consultation, contact us today
on our main website
http://gastricbandfrance.co.uk
And by completing our online enquiry form for an
immediate response
http://gastricbandfrance.co.uk/contact-us/