Gastric Bypass Myth

October 29, 2005

Myths and Facts of Gastric Bypass

Myth 1

Gastric Bypass patients end up streching their stomachs back to the size they started with.

Fact 1

Unfortunately it is true that some weight loss surgery (WLS) patients do regain their weight after losing it. What isn’t true is that they stretch their stomachs back to pre-surgical size. At best, a post gastric bypass stomach will expand from a capacity of 2 tablespoons to one-cup capacity. This is expected and part of the reason gastric bypass is successful. In the phase of rapid weight loss the patient cannot eat more than once ounce of food at a time. As the stomach heals and the weight loss stabilizes the stomach can eventually hold up to a cup of food at a time.

Myth 2

Gastric Bypass Patients regain all their weight and then some!

Fact 2

The reason that some patients regain their weight after surgery is they return to snacking which is contradictory to the directions given by their bariatric center. Snacking is forbidden by most centers. Eating little quantities of the wrong foods throughout the day causes WLS patients to stop losing weight, or worse, this behavior results in weight gain. Snacking is one of the behaviors that caused morbid obesity in the first place

Myth 3

Gastric Bypass surgery makes people sick all the time.

Fact 3

Weight loss surgery patients who have gastric bypass can suffer from what is called dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome is described as a shock-like state when small, easily absorbed food particles rapidly dump into the digestive system. This results in a very unpleasant feeling with symptoms such as a cold clammy sweat, pallor, butterflies in the stomach and a pounding pulse. These symptoms may be followed by cramps and diarrhea. This state can last for 30-60 minutes and is quite uncomfortable.

Foods that typically cause dumping are sweets, fats and processed carbohydrates. If a person is dehydrated the symptoms of dumping will be exaggerated.

The most efficient way to avoid dumping is to maintain the strict regimen practiced during bariatric infancy: follow the four rules. Eat Protein first making sure it comprises one-half of every meal. Avoid snacking. Avoid all sources of simple sugar; and yes, this includes Cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, ice cream and sorbet. Sip Water throughout the day. When you practice this eating behavior your blood sugar will not fluctuate and you will not dump. Most patients, who crave a taste of something sweet, have learned they can tolerate a bite of fruit at the end of the meal. Each person must proceed with caution and discover what works for their body.

I personally have never had any compications and I have never experienced dumping syndrome. But I do not use that as an excuse to eat thing that I know made me overweight in the first place. I have been given a tool to help me lose weight, not a magic cure to my poor eating habits. It is up to each individual to take this tool and use it to it's fullest. It is also up to each individual to decide how successful they will be by making the right choices now or 2 years from now. If you do that, you will not gain the weight back. I think people have come to use these "myths" as excuses. There is no excuse. So if you know someone that has regained all their weight after surgery, it is their choice.

My advice is before making the final decision on what type of surgery to have, do your homework on all options. Their are pros and cons to both Banding and Gastric Bypass. We are very lucky to have options, we're Americans! lol

I think what is truely the important is no matter what procedure we have done, we are all in the same battle. We have all been the fat one that people point and stare at. So reguardless of our individual decisions, we need to stick together and support each other no matter what.

Good luck to all of you in your journey down the road to weight lose! :banana

Megan

332/242/150

GBS 04/27/05

90 pounds gone forever!

You're not responsible for being knocked down. However, you are responsible for picking yourself back up!

vinesqueen · October 29, 2005

Welcome Megan. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Your insights into the gastric bypass are invaluable. I think we are lucky to have you and Wendy come here and be willing to share your realities with us, since they are so different from our own, being banded and all.

I don't kow how long you've been lurking here, but just so you know, we are an international board, with several very active members from the UK, AZ as well as other points inbetween!

October 29, 2005

I am happy to be here! Even though we all have different views and opinions, we can learn from each other!

Megan

CCBSTX · October 29, 2005

Myths and Facts of Gastric Bypass
Myth 1

Gastric Bypass patients end up streching their stomachs back to the size they started with.

Fact 1

Unfortunately it is true that some weight loss surgery (WLS) patients do regain their weight after losing it. What isn’t true is that they stretch their stomachs back to pre-surgical size. At best, a post gastric bypass stomach will expand from a capacity of 2 tablespoons to one-cup capacity. This is expected and part of the reason gastric bypass is successful. In the phase of rapid weight loss the patient cannot eat more than once ounce of food at a time. As the stomach heals and the weight loss stabilizes the stomach can eventually hold up to a cup of food at a time.

Myth 2

Gastric Bypass Patients regain all their weight and then some!

Fact 2

The reason that some patients regain their weight after surgery is they return to snacking which is contradictory to the directions given by their bariatric center. Snacking is forbidden by most centers. Eating little quantities of the wrong foods throughout the day causes WLS patients to stop losing weight, or worse, this behavior results in weight gain. Snacking is one of the behaviors that caused morbid obesity in the first place

Myth 3

Gastric Bypass surgery makes people sick all the time.

Fact 3

Weight loss surgery patients who have gastric bypass can suffer from what is called dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome is described as a shock-like state when small, easily absorbed food particles rapidly dump into the digestive system. This results in a very unpleasant feeling with symptoms such as a cold clammy sweat, pallor, butterflies in the stomach and a pounding pulse. These symptoms may be followed by cramps and diarrhea. This state can last for 30-60 minutes and is quite uncomfortable.

Foods that typically cause dumping are sweets, fats and processed carbohydrates. If a person is dehydrated the symptoms of dumping will be exaggerated.

The most efficient way to avoid dumping is to maintain the strict regimen practiced during bariatric infancy: follow the four rules. Eat Protein first making sure it comprises one-half of every meal. Avoid snacking. Avoid all sources of simple sugar; and yes, this includes Cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, ice cream and sorbet. Sip Water throughout the day. When you practice this eating behavior your blood sugar will not fluctuate and you will not dump. Most patients, who crave a taste of something sweet, have learned they can tolerate a bite of fruit at the end of the meal. Each person must proceed with caution and discover what works for their body.

I personally have never had any compications and I have never experienced dumping syndrome. But I do not use that as an excuse to eat thing that I know made me overweight in the first place. I have been given a tool to help me lose weight, not a magic cure to my poor eating habits. It is up to each individual to take this tool and use it to it's fullest. It is also up to each individual to decide how successful they will be by making the right choices now or 2 years from now. If you do that, you will not gain the weight back. I think people have come to use these "myths" as excuses. There is no excuse. So if you know someone that has regained all their weight after surgery, it is their choice.

My advice is before making the final decision on what type of surgery to have, do your homework on all options. Their are pros and cons to both Banding and Gastric Bypass. We are very lucky to have options, we're Americans! lol

I think what is truely the important is no matter what procedure we have done, we are all in the same battle. We have all been the fat one that people point and stare at. So reguardless of our individual decisions, we need to stick together and support each other no matter what.

Good luck to all of you in your journey down the road to weight lose! :banana

Megan

332/242/150

GBS 04/27/05

90 pounds gone forever!

You're not responsible for being knocked down. However, you are responsible for picking yourself back up!

We are all in this together! You're weight loss is wonderful....Shawn

dylansmom · October 30, 2005

Welcome aboard! It's nice to have an insightful view into one of the other kinds of weightloss surgeries available. I know at one time we had a DS patient here, but she hasn't posted in a long time. I miss hearing from her.

Anwyn · October 30, 2005

Thanks for joining us! I completely agree that everyone should investigate all of their options before choosing a surgery. You can never be too educated, and I appreciate you taking the time to set the record straight.

Congratulations on your weight loss!

tomorrowsdream · October 30, 2005

My daughter had gastric bypass 3 years ago. Today she weighs 110 lb. less and has never, ever gained an ounce back. She can, however, eat about a cup ful of food, but that is nothing compared to what she used to eat. She has gone from a size 24 to a size 10 and looks wonderful. I only wish that I thought lap banding was the answer for me. She does have uncomfortable moments where she gets nevous, as she has to eat more often, and takes the time to have a little something and then she is fine. She never complains, and long ago stopped following up with her dr. For her it was a wonderful answer to her problem. For me it would be drastic surgery and has a higher mortality rate then most surgeries, and lots of things can go wrong. The bright side is none of that happened in my daughter's case and she is doing wonderfully. I think you should really be young to consider this surgery though. It isn't for anyone getting up there in years.

GeezerSue · October 30, 2005

My daughter had gastric bypass 3 years ago.... For me it would be drastic surgery and has a higher mortality rate then most surgeries, and lots of things can go wrong... It isn't for anyone getting up there in years.

I want to comment on a couple of things...First, it's great that your daughter is doing so well.

Then, even though it's not a surgery I would choose, I have to say that gastric bypass does NOT have "a higher mortality rate than most surgeries." It has a higher mortality rate than the LapBand and a lower mortality rate than the DS. (And to compare it to an angioplasty, it has a lower mortality rate than angioplasties done on the oldest patients by the least experienced surgeons and a higher mortality rate than angioplasties done on younger patients by very experienced surgeons. Which kinda means nothing, but I thought I'd throw that in there.)

Also, I suspect that at "almost 59," I'm a little older than your daughter. I'm scheduled for the DS which is a more extensive surgery than the bypass, and I really hope I survive. I've been through a lot but have a rather resilient physiology, so I'm playing the odds.

Finally, about age and wls. Actually, patients over 55 years of age are now considered rather poor candidates for a successful LapBand journey. Some of the problem is of the old-dogs-new-tricks variety, but esophageal dysmotility and other problems are often a function of age. To add in the band may expedite those problems in those who were going to have them or cause those problems in those who were not going to have them. So, actually, the LapBand is a less dangerous surgery, per se, for older patients, but it has rather limited success and more complications for those patients, as well.

tomorrowsdream · October 30, 2005

As a 5-way-bypass survivor who has been through multiple cardiac caths and angioplasty I think I have to disagree. The mortality rate in gastric bypass patients of an older age far exceeds any heart surgeries. That I know to be fact. I'm honestly concerned now in what you say about lap banding being tougher on patients that are older, because I'm older than you. I'm 63. The seminar dr. told me there was not the risk with lap banding that is associated with gastric bypass in patients of this age. He told me lap banding is perfectly safe at any age.

Can you give me some more info on where you got your data? I have received nothing but encouragement to have this done "for my heart", so perhaps I need to look more closely at it. It is minimally invasive as compared to gastric bypass which is truly invasive, so please fill me in on why banding is difficult for older patients.

You are having a surgery that is more invasive then gastric lap banding? What is this DS surgery? I'll say a prayer for you. Why do you have to have the more extensive surgery? Can you describe just what it consists of and why lap banding would not be an alternative. Thanks and God Bless.

I said a lot of prayers after going through multiple angios and stents and then having 5-way-bypasss at 59, but I came through it just fine. The doctors took away my cigarettes, which were really a crutch to prevent weight gain. I weighed 160 at the time of surgery and am 5'9". I was fine with myself. Now, I eat like a piglet and am always hungry without the cigarettes. I would never go back to them, but I've created one more hazardous condition because I gained so much weight when I quit. You are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't it seems.

Does anyone have any encouragement for banding at an older age?