Hello everyone, I've been reading the information people have been writing in the surgical
dieting section here and I have become a bit concerned about how much misunderstanding there is about gastric bypass.
I am a physician assistant who currently works for a general surgery practice that does many gastric bypass surgeries. First and foremost you need to understand that bypass surgery is a major deal. What we are doing is reducing the size of your stomach to about one eighth its original size. This is a pretty major change to your Gastrointestinal system and a very extensive surgery. After the surgery you will be on a strictly liquid
diet for about two weeks, then you can switch to soft pureed foods and then finally very well chewed regular foods. Also once you can eat regular food, we highly recommend that you eat a low carb higher protein
diet for the rest of your life. You will continue to be monitored by your doctor every few weeks and then every 6 months, where we check to see how your labs are doing. Usually checking cholesterol, vitamin levels, and blood glucose levels. Usually after the surgery you do have great improvement, many peoples diabetes goes away, peoples cholesterol and blood pressure go down. And you do lose a significant amount of weight at first. There is a slight chance of developing a B12 deficiency but that can be easily treated with supplements.
Their is also a significant amount of gas and bloating for several months after the surgery. That honestly there is no treatment for you just have to wait for it to pass. Honestly though I think the most difficult part of gastric bypass is the psychological effect. I mean if you get to the point of being extremely obese. Then food is one of the major focuses of your life. After bypass surgery its not anymore, you go out to dinner with your friends, you can't really eat anything, at thanksgiving dinner you can barely finish a quarter of the plate. I mean the giant part of your life of eating is just gone and its never coming back. I've seen patients sobbing in my office because they can no longer go out with their friends and family and have a good time together eating. Its a big change and you really need to ready yourself for it.
Now don't get me wrong I have seen amazing changes in people with gastric bypass people losing 200-300 lbs sometimes and completely changing their lives. I mean if you are obese or morbidly obese, this surgery could literally save your life and add 20-30 years to your life span. But don't expect to become a super model after you have this surgery, if you have 150-200 lbs to lose, you may lose 100lbs pretty easily but your going to have to work to get a great looking
body. With lots of
dieting, exercise, and many times cosmetic surgery to remove the extra skin. But I will tell you I have seen some patients come in a few years after their surgery and I have been like "wow, that lady is hot" and I have no idea who they are till they tell me they are so and so patient.
Well I hope I could clear some stuff up about this issue, honestly I really don't recommend you resort to
gastric bypass surgery unless your are very obese, with significant health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. Hopefully you will find a responsible doctor who will only operate on you if he things your really need it not just to make money. Gastric bypass is not an easy fix its much more difficult than just
diet and exercise. Well I try to answer your questions if you have any. I hope my insight from a health professional working in
gastric bypass surgery helped.
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