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Written by Kristi Runyon
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A new procedure allows gastric bypass patients to lose even more weight without actually going under the knife. The procedure is also less invasive and allows for faster recovery.
Gastric Bypass for Obesity
One treatment that is sometimes offered to those who are seriously overweight is gastric bypass surgery. A small area of the upper part of the stomach is sectioned off from the rest of the stomach with staples. This small pouch becomes the new "stomach" area. Then, an end of the small intestine is disconnected and attached to the new pouch. Food is now held in the stomach pouch and travels out through the new connection with the small intestine. The procedure induces weight loss in two ways. First, the small section of stomach can only hold a very small amount of food at a time, thus patients get full after only a few bites of food. Second, food bypasses much of the digestive tract, so fewer calories are absorbed into the body.
Researchers say gastric bypass is the most common type of weight loss surgery performed in the U.S. More than 103,000 gastric bypass surgeries were done in 2003. Studies show, over the long-term, gastric bypass surgery can improve or eliminate weight-related health problems, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and sleep apnea. Patients also reduce their risk for coronary artery disease, cancer and death from any cause.
Revision Surgery for Obesity
Researchers report most patients who have gastric bypass surgery are able to lose 65 to 80 percent of their excess weight within two years. But maintaining the weight loss requires adherence to diet and lifestyle changes. Within two to seven years, up to 40 percent of surgery patients regain weight. In most cases, it's because the pouch or the connection stretch, allowing the smaller stomach to hold more food and the patient to overeat.
Instead of having to undergo another surgery, some patients may be able to have a procedure called StomaphyX. With the patient under general anesthesia, a thin, lighted tube is inserted in the mouth and fed down to the stomach pouch. The StomaphyX device is passed through the tube and inside the pouch. Then, a suction device gently pulls up the pouch, making small folds or pleats in the walls. Finally, staples are placed in the pleats to hold them together. With the pleats secured, the size of the pouch is decreased, bringing it back to the size achieved in the original gastric bypass surgery. If the connection between the pouch and small intestine has been stretched, the StomaphyX can be used to tighten it and create a smaller opening.
Erik Wilson, M.D., Bariatric Surgeon with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, says because the StomaphyX doesn't require open surgery, recovery time is quick. Patients are usually able to go home the same day or a day later. Although the weight loss is slow, most patients eventually lose anywhere from 20 to 50 extra pounds.
StomaphyX was approved by the FDA in 2007. It isn't intended as an initial weight loss surgery, but only as a follow-up procedure for those who regain weight after gastric bypass surgery.
To find a doctor performing the StomaphyX procedure visit :www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,doclisting/type,STOMAPHYX/
The Obesity Problem
Weight is often measured in terms of body mass index (BMI). A healthy weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. People with a BMI of 25 or higher are considered overweight. The overweight category is further broken down by the severity of weight problems. A person with a BMI of 30 to 39.9 is classified as obese, 40 or more as morbidly obese and 50 or more as super obese.
According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), 134 million adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Roughly 15 million of them are morbidly obese and 50,000 are super obese.
Excess weight is hard on the body. People who are obese are at higher risk for a number of chronic health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and some types of cancer. The ASMBS says obesity increases the risk for death by 10 to 50 percent and leads to 112,000 excess deaths each year in the U.S.
AUDIENCE INQUIRY
For information on StomaphyX go to http://www.endogastricsolutions.com
To find a doctor performing the StomaphyX procedure go to www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,doclisting/type,STOMAPHYX/
For general information on obesity and weight loss:
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, http://www.asmbs.org
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