tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post872962674655228333..comments2024-02-18T13:53:30.168-08:00Comments on Surgeonsblog: The Groening of Weight Loss SurgerySid Schwabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-30146973639102539552010-05-31T10:26:12.695-07:002010-05-31T10:26:12.695-07:00Most recently, someone from church had it done in ...Most recently, someone from church had it done in May. She had been opposed to it a couple of years ago. Her sister was one of the first ones to have it done back in the 70's and she had to travel out of state to get it done. She had a miserable time of it and they didn't have the support systems/follow-up they have in place now. She is happy and supportive of her sister but would never do it again. She did regain the weight. The woman I know lost 80lbs between May and October and is very happy about it and said she would do it again. I only know of one woman personally who got the rubber band procedure but I don't know the outcome because I had stopped working at the hospital in which she worked as a nurse.F. Belthttp://www.askrootz.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-14769964840079671612010-03-12T09:11:47.548-08:002010-03-12T09:11:47.548-08:00Sid re: diabetes - the newest study, a small but a...Sid re: diabetes - the newest study, a small but a clinical study found that a large percentage of gastric bypass patients had "irratic blood sugar levels" after surgery causing voracious appetite soon after eating. <br /><br /><i>The researchers also found that 80 percent of the patients also had undiagnosed "glucose abnormalities" including "high blood sugar" or "low blood sugar" or both. Dr. Roslin reported on this study at the 2009 ASMBS convention, suggesting that the gastric bypass may cause a heightened insulin response due to the rapid emptying of the pouch into the small bowel.<br /><br />Roslin M, et al "Abnormal glucose tolerance testing following gastric bypass" Surg Obesity Related Dis 2009; 5(3 Suppl): Abstract PL-205. </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/14874" rel="nofollow">link to article on medpage</a>Sue Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09733810024107526074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-49992933135462451332010-03-12T06:33:29.233-08:002010-03-12T06:33:29.233-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03881839309246694943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-77252244640053794112010-03-11T22:44:10.876-08:002010-03-11T22:44:10.876-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00253610852832232242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-57767183402786390802009-12-09T08:29:36.830-08:002009-12-09T08:29:36.830-08:00L.S.Abroad: I guess you didn't see the warning...L.S.Abroad: I guess you didn't see the warning about spam comments.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-49562005397315966812009-10-13T12:55:41.178-07:002009-10-13T12:55:41.178-07:00This is a great post! You are totally right about ...This is a great post! You are totally right about the religious fervor that WLS gets. But I think when something is such a small niche, they tend to be protective of it. :)Kelseyhttp://mybiglife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-75515672444940511082009-09-22T08:04:38.499-07:002009-09-22T08:04:38.499-07:00Same goes for you, Robert. Go away and push your p...Same goes for you, Robert. Go away and push your pills somewhere else.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-26344001366811660142009-09-21T22:31:52.163-07:002009-09-21T22:31:52.163-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-86319928999732020892009-02-01T21:09:00.000-08:002009-02-01T21:09:00.000-08:00Note to people who post here to promote their busi...Note to people who post here to promote their businesses: don't.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-86409632176330287102008-12-23T22:44:00.000-08:002008-12-23T22:44:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-5920242643398835722008-11-11T16:02:00.000-08:002008-11-11T16:02:00.000-08:00Thanks for the useful info.I worked with Jessie Ah...Thanks for the useful info.<BR/><BR/>I worked with Jessie Ahroni for a few years; it makes sense that there'd be no problem with diving. Altitude would be a theoretical issue, if there were much air in the balloon part of the band.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-88531462911530484842008-11-11T15:04:00.000-08:002008-11-11T15:04:00.000-08:00Susan WHo asked about scuba and lap band procedure...Susan WHo asked about scuba and lap band procedure. Christopher Oliver is another and Doctor/Blogger who actually had the lapband proceedure posts about the subject <BR/><BR/>at the link below or I also cut an pasted part of the entry <BR/><BR/>http://christopheroliver.blogspot.com/2007/11/scuba-diving-and-laparoscopic-gastric.html<BR/><BR/>at 13:47 2 comments Links to this post<BR/>Monday, 5 November 2007<BR/>Scuba diving and adjustable laparoscopic gastric banding<BR/><BR/>Passed the theory and first five enclosed swimming pool scuba dives for PADI open water dive course this weekend. Will do the open water referral dives to obtain the PADI open water scuba qualification next month in India. <BR/><BR/>I see there is little literature on scuba and lap banding! Jesse Ahroni book “laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding” (page 92) says there is little problem as the band is fluid filled, as long as there is just air in the band! I’m not planning to dive any deeper than 60feet. I do not think gas bloat should be a problem either. I would stop on ascent and allow any gas to escape if any problems I suppose? There does seem to be some experience on LapBand Forum which shows there is not any problems with Lap Band and Scuba Diving. Any divers out there with adjustable gastric bands let me know your experiences?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15469919944737503739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-51943092707080740042008-07-25T11:03:00.000-07:002008-07-25T11:03:00.000-07:00Seems what long term studies we have do not necess...Seems what long term studies we have do not necessarily suggest that. In the Swedish Obesity study, among patients from all surgical procedures.... "At the two year point, 72 percent of the diabetics appeared to be recovered but at the 10 year point, only 36 percent of the diabetics were still "disease-free"." (SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine: Volume 351:2683-2693 December 23, 2004 Number 26 Lifestyle, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors 10 Years after Bariatric Surgery Lars Sjostrom, M.D., Ph.D et al).<BR/> Second the Monash U study restricted diabetics to those diagnosed less than 2 years before the study. It's well known that at that early stage, mild lifestyle changes and light exercise 5 days a week, regardless of size will keep sugar levels down. And the media MISQUOTED the reseachers. The researchers NEVER said the diabetes of any of the cohort was "CURED". They used the word "IN REMISSION". (SOURCE: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/299/3/316).<BR/>Third, in our bicycle club, were 5 type II diabetics. 3 were super slim, 1 was a bit fat and 1 was very fat. But the very fat one exercised daily and watched his diet. The very fat one was the only one with well controlled sugar levels (normal A1c WITHOUT MEDICATION and he kept it that way until 13 years after diagnosis when he started to require oral medications which are still controlling him today at the 14 year point after diagnosis and he's STILL fat), the slightly fat one was on meds and had an A1c of over 8 despite keeping his weight down with controlled eating and exercising, And the 3 super slim ones were brittle... Add my FIL to the mix... had poorly controlled sugar levels despite being slim all his life and lost both his legs to diabetes. Add my friend in NY to the mix... slim all his life and not well controlled. And finally add a gent on one of my sports groups to the mix. Just got diagnosed. Watches what he eats and keeps slim AND exercises a lot and cannot control BSLs without meds as the fat diabetic I mentioned beforehand could do (who is a family member). It's hype doc, and people are having unnecessary surgery because of these (false) scare tactics. If being slim does not help the 33 percent of type II's who have never been fat, it's NOT going to help the others... not on the long run. *** "Because it's risky, it's [WLS] only appropriate for a tiny fraction of people with obesity—the sickest 1 to 2 percent. The idea that all obese people should get [WLS] surgery is insane."<BR/>Lee Kaplan, M.D., director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center in Boston in "Self MAGAZINE: 'The Miracle Weight Loss that isn't' AUG 2008 ***Sue Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09733810024107526074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-65147489953391036972008-07-25T08:17:00.000-07:002008-07-25T08:17:00.000-07:00Sue W: there are some logical gaps there. It's tru...Sue W: there are some logical gaps there. It's true that many diabetics are not overweight, and obviously for them surgery would never be considered. Among those with type II diabetes who ARE significantly overweight, weight loss surgery has clearly been shown to reverse the glucose intolerance. In fact, for many the need for diabetes pills disappears even before all the weight is lost. So whereas what you say is true, it doesn't mean that surgery is "overhyped" for those with refractory obesity and type II diabetes.<BR/><BR/>Also, your comments about gastric bypass are among the many reasons why I'm strongly in favor of lap-band over bypass, as I've written elsewhere in this blog.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-71000561423996060082008-07-25T02:35:00.000-07:002008-07-25T02:35:00.000-07:00The media are using diabetes (as they tell us, is ...The media are using diabetes (as they tell us, is caused by "obesity") to scare people into having weight loss surgery. Problem being that diabetes is caused by a gene and also if 33 percent of type II diabetics have never been fat, how will losing weight necessarily help? I personally KNOW SIX type II diabetics who are on the slim side and a couple, extremely slim and have never been fat and my FIL was slim all his life, never fat - got type II diabetes in his 40's and by his 60's had lost both his legs to the disease. Like anything there is a great deal of misunderstanding about diabetes. And to the new op gastric bypass patient, the early losses are spectacular but with most people, most of the weight lost in the first year after a gastric bypass is NOT bodyfat but muscle mass and bone mass. Less than 30 percent of what patients lose is fat. By contrast, with the lap band when the weight loss is slower, MOST of what they lose is fat. According to one study, 34 percent of gastric bypass patients regained all or most of the weight (Annals of Surgery. 244(5):734-740, November 2006.<BR/>Christou, Nicolas V. MD, PhD; Look, Didier MD; MacLean, Lloyd D. MD, PhD Abstract: <BR/>Objective: To complete a long-term (>10 years) follow-up of patients undergoing isolated roux-en-Y gastric bypass for severe obesity.)Sue Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09733810024107526074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-47154761667083963332008-01-24T16:44:00.000-08:002008-01-24T16:44:00.000-08:00Dr. Sid, I found a copy of the book on ebay. Than...Dr. Sid, <BR/><BR/>I found a copy of the book on ebay. Thanks again.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14496634230637943637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-86505926568141322882008-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:002008-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00I had RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery one year ago. I w...I had RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery one year ago. I went from a size 20 to a size 2. There are no foods off-limits to me since my surgery and I eat a normal healthy diet, but smaller quantities.<BR/><BR/>Here is the link to my blog about my entire wls journey--<BR/><BR/>http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jill23<BR/><BR/>I didn't want the lapband because I don't believe the long-term results are as good and I did not want to have to go to the doctor to get "fills" for the rest of my life. I also didn't want a foreign object around my stomach and a port under my skin. There are no long-term studies on how long that "equipment" stays good inside your body--it may need replacing after 25 years--no one knows yet. My mom and a friend of mine had the lapband. Everyone has to decide what is best for them. <BR/><BR/>I paid for my weight loss surgery out-of-pocket and the whole thing cost $25,000 including the surgeon, hospital stay at a center of excellence and anesthesia. Best money EVER spent. People spend more than that on college, a car or travel. My recovery was great. I went to Dr. Robert Brolin in Princeton, NJ. He does the lapband also, but he will not decide for you--he wants you to research and decide for yourself...<BR/><BR/>I will be reading your blog regularly--I'm glad I found it!! <BR/><BR/>JillAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-7586889449192946562008-01-21T11:35:00.000-08:002008-01-21T11:35:00.000-08:00cafebird: I should have mentioned this book, which...cafebird: I should have mentioned <A HREF="http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0595311148" REL="nofollow">this</A> book, which some consider the "bible" of lap band, and which is written by a woman with whom I work, and who has a band of her own...Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-786029089827526692008-01-21T11:32:00.000-08:002008-01-21T11:32:00.000-08:00Suew:Apologies to you ... thank you for the inform...Suew:<BR/><BR/>Apologies to you ... thank you for the information, I didn't realize that you had posted it. <BR/><BR/>Much appreciated.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14496634230637943637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-67464110476654336692008-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:002008-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00Dr. Schwab, Thanks for the link. I've been readin...Dr. Schwab, <BR/>Thanks for the link. I've been reading some of the discussion on Lapbandtalk.com and I just ordered Lap band Solutions: A Partner in Weight Loss. Someone gave me Lap-Band for Life by Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, which I haven't started yet.<BR/><BR/>I'm a little nervous, as you can probably tell, more so of the unknown. But, I’m anxious to have the surgery and having energy and stamina. Right now, I’m trying to quit smoking and quite frankly … it ain’t pretty. <BR/> <BR/>Thanks again, I’m really glad that I found your blog, and I appreciate any information. The surgery is expect March 08.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14496634230637943637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-44682944705049000712008-01-19T15:39:00.000-08:002008-01-19T15:39:00.000-08:00Cafebird51: as for information on the lap band, tr...Cafebird51: as for information on the lap band, try: <BR/><BR/>http://drsimpson.net<BR/><BR/>This is a bariatric surgeon who has done WLS for 25 years and now ONLY specializes in the lap band because he found in several studies, including his own, that the weight loss at the 3 year point was identical regardless of what procedure but the lap band has a fraction of the complications of the other procedures and complications seen with lap band are generally not serious.Sue Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09733810024107526074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-78002808261994593022008-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:002008-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00Dr. Schwab, Thank you for that information. It gi...Dr. Schwab, <BR/><BR/>Thank you for that information. It gives me some insight before I actually meet with the surgeon in March. <BR/><BR/>I'm hoping for all things positive. <BR/><BR/>Sincerely, <BR/> <BR/>CafeUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14496634230637943637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-72226689430131303652008-01-19T08:21:00.000-08:002008-01-19T08:21:00.000-08:00cafebird: the complications you mention are pretty...cafebird: the complications you mention are pretty much unrelated to each other. Port replacement, which is very simple, is also pretty uncommon. Once in a while the port will begin to leak, which has no danger associated with it -- it just means the band gets loose. It's quite rare, and simple to fix, since the port is right under your skin. Erosion is much rarer still; it was more common in the early days, but the band has been modified, as have the techniques for placing it. "Slippage" is the biggest issue. It occurs in around 1 - 3% of cases. It's a misnomer, largely. Actual movement of the band to an improper position is almost never the problem: it's a matter of some people forcing in too much food, and causing dilatation of the pouch above the band. Although it's a big deal if it happens, most surgeons are able to reposition it laparoscopically, without the need either to remove it or to resort to an open operation. <BR/><BR/>Obviously, no operation for weight-loss is a simple matter, and none is perfect. It's my opinion, however, as I said, that given the much lower risk of dangerous complications, the lower cost, and the fact that it can often be done as an out-patient (where I work, it's nearly always outpatient), the band comes up on top. Any of the operations ought to be considered a last resort, however.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-53896738546515427202008-01-19T06:53:00.000-08:002008-01-19T06:53:00.000-08:00Dr. Schwab, I started looking into weight loss sur...Dr. Schwab, <BR/><BR/>I started looking into weight loss surgery in July 07. I have visited with the nutritionist and behavioral medicine. My next step is the pre-op skills group. I feel the lapband is the right choice for me.<BR/><BR/>Trying to make a decision on which surgery is the right fit takes you into information overload. I've found that a lot of the support forums online have a lot of good information on personal experiences, but I've also found them to be dumping grounds for personal horror stories.<BR/><BR/>I'm 57 and I'm concerned about the long term affects of Roux Y. My PCP suggests that there is more robust data on the lap band. <BR/><BR/>Although I have a short list of comobities, I'm still in fairly decent health. <BR/><BR/>Where can I find more data on lap band for patients in my age group? <BR/><BR/>I'm concerned about port replacement, erosion, slippage. Is there a common thread that surround these complications?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14496634230637943637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30499448.post-16903575498874577092008-01-12T11:01:00.000-08:002008-01-12T11:01:00.000-08:00Susan: I'm not aware of any issues. Conversely, th...Susan: I'm not aware of any issues. Conversely, there have been concerns about flying, when lower pressure could make the balloon on the band expand. But it turns out it's not a problem. Unless there were lots of air in it (and steps are taken to make sure there isn't), it's not a problem. I assume the opposite concern -- getting looser during diving -- would not be a problem even if it were to occur. But I don't think it would.Sid Schwabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14182853083503404098noreply@blogger.com