IN THE KNOW
Types of weight loss surgery Surgeons at Upstate tailor weight loss surgery to individual patients, but of the three main operations, the gastric bypass is most popular. It allows patients to lose the most weight. small intestine, to the stomach. Nationally 2 to 3 percent of gastric bypass patients experience leakage; at Upstate, leaks affect fewer than ½ percent, Simon says. The majority of weight loss surgeries today are minimally invasive procedures, accomplished through a few tiny holes. Most of the surgeries done in the traditional “open” style are on patients who have had previous stomach surgeries. After surgery, patients start consuming liquids and then soft foods before they are able to eat a regular diet — just smaller portions than they were used to. Patients have four or five followup appointments the first year, two in the second year, and then annually after that so that surgeons can track progress and measure vitamin levels, which can be impacted by the surgery. Weight loss surgery patients face a slightly increased risk of ulcers, so they must avoid smoking and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Kim says patients on the day of surgery are generally excited about the prospect of improving their lives. The day after, faced with nausea and belly pain from surgery, about two-thirds of them experience “buyer’s remorse” and lament why they chose surgery. Ask those same patients about their decision six months later, Kim says, “and they’ll tell you ‘this is the best thing I ever did.’”
ESOPHAGUS GALL BLADDER LIVER
STOMACH
DUODENUM
JEJUNUM
COLON
Bypass
SMALL INTESTINE LARGE INTESTINE
Sleeve
Band
Sleeve – part of the stomach is removed, leaving behind a stomach about the size of a banana.
Band – a band wraps around the upper part of the stomach, creating a pouch about ½-cup in size. The band can be periodically adjusted.
Sleeve — The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer. You eat less so your body uses fat for energy.
Band — The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer. You eat less so your body uses fat for energy.
55 percent
43 percent
HOW IT’S DONE Bypass – a small pouch is fashioned from the stomach and connected to a section of small intestine, so food bypasses part of the small intestine. WHAT THE SURGERY DOES Bypass — The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer. And, your body absorbs fewer calories because the food passes through a shorter small intestine. You eat less so your body uses fat for energy. The stomach and intestine remnants left inside continue to function hormonally. AVERAGE PERCENT OF BODY WEIGHT LOSS 60-70 percent
OTHER BENEFITS OF WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY Most patients who lose weight through surgery see an improvement in their quality of life and live longer. Surgery has been shown to resolve: Type 2 diabetes High cholesterol High blood pressure Migraines
Knowing changes everything.SM
Depression Obstructive sleep apnea Asthma Gastroesophageal reflux disease
winter 2012
Polycystic ovarian syndrome Urinary stress incontinence Osteoarthritis Gout
U P S TAT E H E A LT H
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