Weight Loss Tips |

Few people who suffer from depression after a gastric bypass operation blame the condition on the procedure itself, or the very low calorie diet that follows weight loss surgery. However, low calorie diets have been found to cause depression, and they can increase the symptoms in already diagnosed depressive people. The diet following gastric bypass surgery is so low in calories that depression often follows the procedure – but the operation itself is rarely recognized as the cause.

Some doctors argue that depression is all in a person’s head. They aren’t too far off, but depression is not a mental illness. It is caused by inadequate levels of mood stabilizing chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Many things can cause these chemicals to get out of balance, including weight loss and low calorie intake. Depression is one of the more serious gastric bypass complications.

Calories convert to fuel for the body. The body needs a certain number of calories to survive. When there isn’t enough fuel to go around, the most important functions of the body get first shot at the available food. This can cause lower serotonin levels in people who do not eat enough.

The lower levels then will cause the gastric bypass complication of depression. According to the Thinner Times website, psychological challenges are the causes of 5-10% of deaths occurring two or more months after gastric bypass surgery.

Depression is a dangerous illness causing thousands of deaths each year. The gastric bypass diet needs to be closely monitored and adjusted in order to prevent depression. Many small healthy meals per day are needed to take in adequate amounts of calories. This will ensure a continuous supply of fuel for your body.

These meals need to be well balanced with a healthy amount of proteins, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Vitamins also should be taken daily to help supplement the food intake.

The loneliness a gastric bypass patient feels also contributes to depression. It is hard to go out to a restaurant and eat like friends do. Ordering and portion size must be taken into consideration. The joy of dining out with a date is also compromised. The need to explain actions causes embarrassment and feelings of inadequacy. Speaking to a date before eating at a restaurant will alleviate the fears of uncomfortable questions. The right person will understand and not judge the gastric bypass patient.

Symptoms of depression include sadness throughout most of the day and lack of interest in activities a patient once enjoyed. A depressed person may be tired and want to sleep all the time. They may be pessimistic and have a negative outlook on life. Severely depressive people will have thoughts of death or suicide.

When depression does occur, is is imperative to seek help immediately. There are medications available to help balance out the chemicals in the brain. Early intervention is important because after beginning a depression medication, sometimes up to 4 weeks can pass before a patient begins feel better.

If the first medication doesn’t provide relief within a month, inform the prescribing doctor and don’t despair. There are many medications to try. Each person is different and finding the correct medication sometimes takes a few tries.

People choosing gastric bypass surgery need to be aware of the serious side effects of depression. Depression is not something to downplay or ignore. It can be very serious and even fatal if not treated.

Patients should be informed of the ways to prevent depression form occurring, how to identify that they are having a problem, and the steps to take to alleviate symptoms.

The gastric bypass surgery has become without a doubt one of the most famous surgical procedures and is considered to be the most effective medical treatment for patients who are considered to be morbidly obese. As for as the many safety concerns associated with the procedure, there have been numerous studies to determine exactly how safe this surgical procedure really is. One stud showed that a patient who undergoes a one at a hospital that is known to have a high success rate had a 66% chance of having to go back in for surgery resulting from a complication associated with the procedure.

The complications associated with the the surgery may include bleeding and even respiratory and heart issues. Furthermore it was found that the hospitals that performed the most number of surgeries also saw the lowest percentage of complications arising from the procedure.

Just like in any surgical procedure there is always going to be risks involved. Making sure that you have a clear comprehension of these possible risks as well as having an understanding of what is to be expected of you both prior as well as after the procedure will help in the lowering of the risks of the procedure. In general though, an average of 40% of all patients will suffer from some sort of complications associated with the procedure itself within 6 months of the surgery. Out of all the patients who have undergone the gastric bypass surgery, only 2 out of every 1,000 patients will have some type of complication while still in the hospital.

The biggest suggestion when is to do your research well. Find out which hospitals perform the most procedures as well as which hospitals have the highest success rate. You will want to find a very experience surgeon who perhaps has already performed thousands of gastric bypasses. This research will go a long way and can mean the difference as to whether you will be needing to return to the hospital within the next six months to fix a complication.

For starters, a gastric bypass should never be considered permanent as it is possible to be reversed should the need arise. As for the lap band procedure it is an easily reversed procedure that features an expandable saline filled band that is attached to the patient’s stomach and at any time it may be removed without any complications.

In the normal gastric bypass surgery the stomach is stapled in order to form a small pouch around the size of an egg. After the stomach pouch is made, the surgeon will then cut the small intestines and then reattach them to form a “Y” shape before attaching the open end to the new stomach pouch. In the lap band procedure all that is done is that the surgeon will wrap an expandable band around the stomach creating a smaller space in which to allow food which will be digested. With the lap band procedure there is no need to deal with the pain associated with overeating nor is there the problem of chronic dumping syndrome.

This band is then filled with a saline solution and will have a nozzle which will be placed near the surface of the skin and allow the surgeon to adjust the band by either drawing out some of the saline solution or by adding more. Because this surgery is minimally invasive the recovery period is very quick and in the event that it is necessary to remove the lap band, another minimally invasive procedure can be done to remove it.

Unlike a gastric bypass though, the success rate is much lower due to the patient still being able to eat more food without the worry of pain or chronic dumping syndrome. It is important that any person who decides to go with a lap band procedure must be fully committed to results as there are no real side effects if you fail to adhere to your new diet or exercise routine.

Please check with your surgeon to determine if you will qualify for this procedure. He or she will be able to make the best judgment of qualification in order for you to ask your medical insurance company if they will cover the procedure. Most insurance companies will cover both the lap band and the gastric bypass as long as the patient qualifies for the procedure.

Establishing a realistic gastric bypass surgery price is extremely difficult and will vary widely from one individual to the next. Nevertheless, it is possible to establish a starting point and to give some general pointers to assist in getting a rough estimate of what you might be looking at.

Prices for minimally invasive restrictive surgery, such as gastric banding, will start at around about $15,000 while mixed surgeries, such as a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, will come in at about $25,000. In both cases these figures will cover the costs of surgery and hospitalization in a standard medical facility and assume that there are no complications. If you decide to engage the services of a world renown surgical team in a leading facility the costs could of course be considerably higher.

Now, at this point, we run into the first problem and that is that a substantial number of weight loss surgeries will run into some form of complication which requires additional treatment and possibly further hospitalization. Such complications need not necessarily be major or serious but will, nonetheless, increase the cost of undergoing surgery. In the case of minor complications which do not require further hospitalization statistics show that the average additional costs are $11,000. Where further hospitalization is required for more serious complications this figure rises to around $40,000. These of course are average figures and so reflect some lucky patients whose costs will rise by only $2,000 or $3,000 and less fortunate patients whose additional costs will top $100,000.

But now we run into the second problem. It is easy to forget that gastric bypass surgery will not only result in weight loss but will also have a profound psychological effect on patients and lead to a dramatic change in lifestyle. This change in the way in which a patient leads his or her life will also often mean a considerable change in the cost of living.

Apart from the obvious expenses of a new wardrobe as the weight literally falls off, many patients often feel the need to redecorate and change the furniture, buy a new car and take up an activity such as golf. All of which can add up to a tidy sum. Then of course comes the question of additional surgery.

Unfortunately for many patients as the weight fall off the skin doesn’t adjust to fit and, although they are extremely happy to have regained their health, energy and vitality, they are not so happy with the way they look and feel uncomfortable facing the world with their new body. This often results in a desire for cosmetic surgery and this is certainly not cheap.

The list of course goes on but you probably have the picture by now. It’s a bit like spending a day at a theme park. The gastric bypass surgery price is simply the entrance fee and, once you’re in the park, how much you spend is very much up to you. And, just like any day out in an amusement park, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s going to be expensive.

Many people inquire as to how much weight a person can lose through the means of a gastric bypass procedure. Unfortunately this weight may vary from patient to patient. It is also important to note that no weight can actually be given in pounds format. For any gastric bypass surgery patient, one can expect to loose anywhere from 66 up to 80 percent of their pre-surgery weight. However this does not necessarily include all the weight the patient wants to loose as there are some areas on many people that will just not burn away. These areas can be seen even in persons whose weight is not excessive and yet they still have a “beer” gut. This is some of the hardest to loose weight and it can be found in many different areas on different people.

The good news is that this 66 to 80% weight loss usually is obtained between 18 and 24 months after the completion of the procedure. While the gastric bypass procedure is considered to induce rapid weight loss what one has to remember is that this rapid weight loss does not include the total weight loss potential of the patient but rather only the first 70% of their total potential.

Within the first few months alone the gastric bypass patient can expect to loose 30 to 60% of their pre-surgery weight with the remaining weight loss obtained through discipline and hard work. The only way to loose this remaining weight is through a complete lifestyle change as well as a steady and healthy diet regiment.

You may also inquire with your surgeon during the consultation as he or she will be able to give you a more accurate percentage since each person’s biological structure is different. Depending on many factors you can loose more or less weight over the course of the years following the procedure. To maximize your weight loss potential you have to be totally committed to the program of altering your entire lifestyle and breaking your old eating habits including that of intaking any substance with sugars in them.

Many people ask if gastric bypass surgery is the answer to the growing obesity epidemic. At the same time many surgeons are answering this question with affirmations. The truth is that every year, the number of gastric bypass surgeries doubles and is expected to be doing so for many years to come. No matter how it’s broken down, the amount of risks associated with the gastric bypass surgery is far less than those associated with being morbidly obese.

The true answer as to whether or not gastric bypass surgery as being the answer to obesity actually comes down to each individual patient. No matter how you look at it, the ability for gastric bypass to work all comes down to the person’s ability to follow through with all of the pre and postoperative requirements. Many people want an easy way out, they do not want to have to exercise or diet to loose their weight and think that it is a miracle cure. For these people, chances are that the surgeon may not only delay the procedure but may cancel it completely if he or she feels that you will not commit to the life altering changes that you must accomplish to make the procedure a success. For many other people out there that has tried literally every remedy available from exercise to pills to loose weight without any promising results, the surgery is the last option which will give them a second chance at life.

Assuming that the patient is able to fully give themselves to the treatment and life altering changes needed then the surgery is nothing less than the true answer to fixing their weight problem. If you are not the type that is willing to put forth the effort than there is a very good chance that within six months to a year you will end up back to your original weight. Even worse, if you fail to follow through with the changes in your lifestyle and habits, you could end up in worse health than you started with. This bad health can range from a chronic dumping syndrome to death. It is the answer to obesity as long as the patient is willing to let it be.

While the number of gastric bypass surgeries being performed each year is going up as obesity rates continue to rise in most western countries, a lot of people still believe that surgery is not the right solution for obesity in teens. Nonetheless, this could be changing and, although numbers are still relatively small, teenage gastric bypass surgeries increased by 300% between 2000 and 2003.

There are presently two considerations for most surgeons when it comes to surgery as an answer to the problem of obesity in teenagers. The first issue is whether or not surgery is safe in this age group and the second issue is how adolescent patients will fare in the long term.

The question of the long term effects of weight loss surgery is of course one which will only be answered with time, when a large enough group of teenagers has had surgery and we have produced some meaningful statistics. During 2003 in excess of 105,000 gastric bypass operations were performed but fewer than 800 of these operations were carried out on teenage patients. Even if we consider this to be a meaningful sample size from which we can draw conclusions about the long term effects of surgery, we still have to wait many years before drawing such conclusions.

As far as the success of the procedure itself is concerned, teenagers have proved to be excellent candidates for surgery, requiring shorter hospitalization, recovering quickly and demonstrating fewer problems both during and following surgery. This is not surprising when you think that most teenagers go into surgery without the many medical conditions that are frequently seen in adults. Perhaps most important of all, the death rate from gastric bypass surgery among teenagers is a lot less than that seen in adults.

As well as those concerns related to surgery itself there is also the wider question of whether or not we should be looking at surgery at all with adolescents. Patients having gastric bypass surgery have to make considerable changes to their lifestyle and have to deal with a number of psychological issues both prior to and following surgery. It is hard enough to ask adults to tackle these issues, but a lot of people are asking whether or not this a burden that we should be putting on teenagers.

The evidence to hand at this point suggests that weight loss surgery is an effective answer to the problem of obesity in teenagers but more time is needed to assess the long term effects of surgery and to study the psychological aspects of surgery before this can become a widespread solution to the problem of obesity in youngsters.

Just like any surgical procedure, what you do in preparation for the procedure may help in determining your chances of having a successful operation. When it comes to a gastric bypass this rule is no different from any other procedure except that it may help you a lot more than usual.

For example, if you are not committed to following through with you postoperative procedures than many surgeons will actually postpone your procedure. The gastric bypass is a very important procedure and what you do after the surgery is finished can play a very important role. Ultimately it is completely possible to regain the weight after the surgery just by failing to comply with the post op procedures. Furthermore, one has to remember that after the surgery they will be on a liquid diet for several days before they will even be able to take in any real food. As a preparation it may be helpful to lower your daily food intake a month or more in advanced so that after the surgery you will not feel as hungry when you are unable to eat your fill.

Before even starting the procedure you will be scheduled for various screenings and it is very important that you do not miss these as doing such the surgeon may feel that you are not committed enough and may delay or even cancel your procedure. After going through these screenings to ensure that you are willing to go all the way with the requirements and making sure that you actually qualify for the procedure, you will then need to get into touch with your medical insurance company. Many insurance companies today will actually pay for your gastric bypass as long as you qualify for it.

Make sure that this decision is not only your own, but that you have thoroughly discussed it with you family to ensure that they too understand the risks and complications associated with the procedure. Furthermore you need to know that your family will have the information necessary should a complication occur and you are left unable to make the decisions for yourself. This commitment for the gastric bypass surgery not only includes you but also those around you whom may be affected by the outcome of the procedure.

As stated before loosing some weight prior to the procedure will help you shorten the time you will spend recovering from the surgery. By dieting before and right up to the actual scheduled procedure you may be able to loose 10 to 15 pounds and be able to go longer than others who have the surgery as you will only be able to eat one sup of food at a time or you can get sick.

An increasing number of people today find that their weight has achieved such a level that they either choose, or are more or less forced to choose, gastric bypass surgery as the only solution to their weight problem. However, having decided to undergo surgery, they are faced with the complex problem of just how to pay for the operation.
Gastric bypass surgery, including comparatively minor procedures such as gastric banding, is an expensive business requiring a highly paid surgical team, together with a stay in hospital and you are unlikely to come away with a bill of under $20,000 and could well be looking at closer to $30,000 or $35,000. Indeed, if complications arise, either immediately after surgery or during recovery at home, the final bill may rise considerably higher.
The first port of call for many people is their insurance provider. But will your insurance company meet the cost?
The answer depends in the first instance upon the form of insurance policy that you have and you will need to read through the terms of the policy with care to see whether surgery of this nature is specifically excluded and, if so, whether there are exceptions to any general exclusion. If your medical insurance is being provided by your employer then you will need to seek advice from your employer, as various insurance providers allow employers to specifically exclude weight loss surgery from their group policies.
This said, morbid obesity is a recognized medical condition and, more importantly, if left untreated it can become life threatening. Accordingly many insurance providers will cover the cost of gastric bypass surgery provided they are satisfied that surgery is a medical necessity.
So, if your insurance policy does not specifically exclude weight loss surgery and your insurance company says that your policy does not cover you when you first ask, don’t merely assume that their word is gospel. Go back to them again, preferably in writing, and make your case.
Every insurance company has its own way of doing things but, in general, you will need to satisfy your insurer that this is indeed a medical necessity in your particular case, that this is the only route open to you to solve your problem and that you understand and are able to cope with the marked lifestyle changes that result from gastric bypass surgery.
This means you will typically need to provide your insurer with:
A full medical history provided by your doctor giving his opinion that weight loss surgery is necessary. It will also help if this is backed up by the opinion of a specialist in the field of gastric bypass surgery.

Proof that you have attempted weight loss under medical supervision and without success in the period before your application. This period will vary between insurers but is commonly anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. You should note that this must be a weight loss program under the supervision of a physician and that programs such as those from Weight Watchers will not generally be accepted.

A psychological report indicating that you understand what is involved in weight loss surgery, including the considerable changes that it will make to your lifestyle, and that you are considered able to cope with the stress that this will involve.
Once you are able to meet these criteria, your insurance provider will generally be happy to meet the costs of gastric bypass surgery.

While on the surface, both liposuction and gastric bypass surgery seem to be comparable ways to lose weight; however, the two procedures are very different and suitable for completely different candidates. To understand how the procedures differ in their results, it’s important to first understand the nature of liposuction and gastric bypass surgery, including why people turn to them in the first place.

Starting with gastric bypass surgery, it’s important to realize this procedure is only for people that are 100 pounds overweight and have been that way for a number of years. If a person meets this initial requirement, the stomach is then surgically cut or tied with a band to shrink it and reduce the amount of food necessary for that person to feel full.

Again, gastric bypass is strictly for weight loss in those people that were once morbidly obese or suffering from weight related health problems. Following the procedure, a person must always adhere to strict dieting and implement regular exercise to shape and tone the areas that have undergone dramatic weight loss. However, additional surgery (such as a tummy tuck) may also be required to remove the excess skin hanging loose from the body.

On the other end of the weight management spectrum is liposuction. Liposuction is best suited for those that seek to remove a small to medium amount of fat, while shaping and toning these same troubled areas for a svelter look. Liposuction is performed by placing a small tube under the skin of the thighs, abs, buttocks, arms, chin or jaw, and the majority of fat cells that exist in that area are then sucked out by a vacuum like instrument.

The removal of these fat cells is initially good for weight loss, as a person will never obtain fat cells again in the area they were removed; however, without proper diet and exercise, the fat will redistribute to other parts of the body.

Unlike gastric bypass surgery, there is no weight restriction to undergo the procedure, nor is strict dieting required to maintain optimal health. The procedure is best suited for those that have tried diet and exercise but can’t seem to lose those few stubborn pounds or lumps no matter how hard they try or for those looking to sculpt and shape the waistline or abs.

However, what both gastric bypass and liposuction have in common is that they are invasive medical procedures with very permanent results. It’s important for a patient to understand what they will and will not achieve by undergoing either of these procedures to avoid disappointment or wasted medical expenses when the weight issue is not properly addressed.

That’s why it’s best for those trying to decide between liposuction and gastric bypass to speak to a licensed physician or plastic surgeon to determine which procedure is appropriate for their particular situation. Factors to be considered by the doctor would include a person’s current weight, medical history, current medications, lifestyle issues and the desired expectations of a successful liposuction or gastric bypass procedure.