Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery Safe

A review of the literature says that there is no need to delay pregnancy past 12 months after bariatric surgery. It says that post-surgery pregnancy is safe and that there is no significant differences found in the risk of gestational diabetes, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit or perinatal death.

Details of the First of Three Published Research Papers

The American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology published research done by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark. This research concluded that the weight of newborn babies from mothers who’ve had bariatric surgery does not show any significant difference compared to newborn babies from mothers who’ve not had the surgery. This research also showed no significant difference statistically between mothers and newborns regarding the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia during pregnancy, the need to have labor induced, the need for a caesarean section, hemorrhaging post-partum, need for the newborn to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or perinatal death.

Slight but No Significant Differences

Dr. Mette M Kjaer, the lead author of the study told Reuters Health that although they expected to find “a positive impact on maternal complications, especially the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, after matching for BMI we did not find any difference between the groups.” What they did find were very slight differences in the subjects who had bariatric surgery. Their babies had a shorter mean gestational age, 274 vs. 278 days (p<0.001), a lower mean weight at birth, 3,312g vs. 3,585g (p<0.001) and a lower risk of being large for gestational age and a higher risk of being small for gestational age as compared to babies born to mothers in the non- surgery group. These differences too, were not clinically significant.

The study examined 339 women who had their babies after bariatric surgery with 84.4% of these having undergone gastric bypass. They were matched with 1,277 mothers of similar age, BMI and delivery date, who had not had bariatric surgery. The BMI in the surgery group was slightly higher than the non-surgery group (32.4 vs. 32.2). Even though the study found that most women and their babies do well after surgery, they should still monitor fetal growth and nutrition as there may be a need for vitamin supplementation. Kjaer added that “Paradoxically, babies who are both small-or-large-for-gestational-age are at increased risk of later obesity and metabolic syndrome”.

A Second Research Paper Regarding Delaying Pregnancy

The same researchers published a second paper in the Obesity Surgery Journal in which they essentially agreed with a study done previously that concluded that women should delay pregnancy for at least a year after bariatric surgery. They also concluded that there was no evidence showing that waiting any longer would make any difference.

They studied a total of 286 women who became pregnant after gastric bypass surgery. Of these 158 conceived within the first year and 128 conceived later. And the study showed there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of mothers for any of the risk factors mentioned earlier in this article. It must be noted that the best time for pregnancy after having gastric bypass surgery has not been determined yet.

A Third Paper Reviewed 17 Flawed Studies

There was a third paper, a review of 17 papers, published in the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica journal which recommended larger studies, that matched or adjusted for BMI, be done to confirm the accuracy of the prior conclusion of pregnancy after bariatric surgery being safe.

The problem with these 17 studies was that study design was not homogeneous enough and that six of the studies had less than 50 subjects with bariatric surgery. There were many slight differences between the groups studied, but on closer examination the differences were invalid as the study design was flawed. They did find a single study indicating a higher risk of birth defects after surgery, but not significantly higher.

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How the Brain Responds to Food After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric Bypass Surgery patients lose more weight over the long them than those who have undergone gastric band operations.

A recent study found that obese patients who’ve had gastric bypass surgery experience changes in their brain which affect how the brain itself responds to food. The Medical Research Council (MRC) found that this procedure reduces not only hunger, but the drive to eat for pleasure.

This was not found to be true of patients who have undergone gastric banding operations. Therefore over the long run, gastric bypass patients lose more weight. The research was published in the journal Gut and the theory is that physical changes made to the gut during surgery somehow have an effect on the drive to eat for pleasure.

Dr. Tony Goldstone from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London and consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said that “Both procedures reduce appetite and have health benefits including long-term weight loss and improvement or even complete resolution of type 2 diabetes. However, gastric bypass surgery appears to be more effective for weight loss and has a more profound effect on the way in which the brain responds to food.”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to measure brain activity by scientists from Imperial College London, UK. They studied 61 men and women who had lost weight using either one of these surgical methods. 21 people had gastric bypass and 20 people had gastric band surgery. They used a control group of 20 people who had no surgery.

Patients who had gastric bypass surgery had less activity in brain’s reward centers when shown pictures of food, compared with those who had gastric banding surgery. Gastric bypass patients also rated high-calorie foods as less appealing and as a result ate less fat in their diet than patients having gastric banding surgery or people in the control group.

However compared to the un-operated control group, both groups that had surgery had similarly reduced hunger and seemed unrelated to their psychological traits.

Researchers could not determine what caused these changes in brain activity, but did see differences in the patients’ metabolism which might be a factor. The gut hormones that make us feel full after a meal were higher in the gastric bypass patients. Levels of bile, which pay a role in digestion were also higher.

Another factor that was observed was that patients with gastric bypass surgery were physically uncomfortable, even nauseous after eating foods high in sugar and fat. So this of course influenced their eating habits.

Dr. Goldstone concluded that “These findings emphasize that different bariatric procedures work in different ways to influence eating behavior,” added Goldstone. “This may have important implications for the way we treat patients with obesity and could help pave the way for a more personalized approach when deciding on the choice of bariatric procedure by taking the impact on food preferences and cravings into account.”

Bariatric Eating Guidelines: Why Can You Not Drink During Meals?

Knowing how much drinking you are allowed to do is important with bariatric eating. It is essential to follow bariatric nutrition in order to avoid serious health risks. Bariatric surgery can dramatically change your life, but you need to carefully follow your new dietary regime in order to see best results and avoid serious health complications. Before you consider bariatric surgery you want to consider all the risks involved. If you have already had the procedure and want help maintaining a healthy lifestyle you need to know what to do. This article can help you understand the health risks associated with drinking during meals after bariatric surgery.

How to Eat After Bariatric Surgery- Bariatric Eating Guidelines

Bariatric surgery and the resulting nutrition and diet that you follow are a good way to help you stop over eating, but it can also come with home health problems if you don’t follow the proper bariatric surgery eating guidelines. Bariatric surgery will reduce the size of your stomach and therefore, reduce the amount of food that can be contained in your stomach. If is important to eat slowly and carefully chew your food after bariatric surgery.

Typically, not following bariatric eating guidelines will lead to nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are the same that you would feel if you ate too fast or ate too much food. However, there are other health issues that can occur after bariatric surgery that are easy to avoid if you follow proper eating habits. Let us look at some of these issues.

Some nutritional problems that occur after bariatric surgery include the following:

· Difficulty digesting food – especially red meats, bread products and fruit and vegetable skins.

· Intolerance to certain foods – especially in the few days after the operation.

· Malnutrition as a result of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

· Changes in bowel habits.

· Dehydration as a result of inadequate drinking.

· Some symptoms to look for after bariatric surgery include the following:

· Dry mouth

· Headache

· Fatigue

· Strong smelling and/or dark urine

· Lactose intolerance

· Gas

· Diarrhea

· Bloating

· Cramping

Tips on How Much and When to Drink and Eat After Bariatric Surgery

Following bariatric surgery you will need to abide by some simple bariatric eating guidelines and take daily dietary supplements and a regimen of multi-vitamins in order to avoid malnutrition and get the missing nutrients from you new reduced diet. When you eat less, you will also be consuming less fiber so it is important to drink as much water as possible, exercise regularly and eat natural fiber sources such as oatmeal or applesauce.

Since bariatric surgery is reducing the size of your stomach it is important that you don’t drink too much fluids with you meal because this will over extend your stomach. This will increase your feelings of nausea and increase your risk of vomiting. Also, drinking with your meals causes the food to travel faster through your stomach, potentially making you hungry sooner. Some foods can also be expanded as a result of mixing with water. Therefore, it is important to drink fluids often, but before and after meals.

Bariatric surgery is one of the best procedures to help obese patients lose weight. If you follow the tips above you will be able to reduce your chance of complications that can make the procedure uncomfortable.

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Gastric Sleeve Surgery Complication: Leak

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Complication: Leak—Become Knowledgeable About It

Gastric Sleeve leak — Gastric Sleeve Surgery Complications: LEAK

One of the newest weight loss surgeries being performed is gastric sleeve surgery. It is performed on people who are obese with a body mass index of 35 or more. When a person has this surgery it involves removing a portion of their stomach and followed by the creation of a thin vertical sleeve of stomach about the size of a banana. The surgeon staples the stomach using a stapling device. This is where the leak complications can happen.

What causes a leak in this area?

There are two main reasons that a leak can occur:

At the staple line there can be leakages due to intra-abdominal pressure
Because of a gap or hole that develops somewhere along the staple closure line

Complications from a leak

When a leak happens it can cause a severe infection from the leakage of gastric contents and gastric fluids. This infection can lead to two very serious complications.

Septic shock—this is when you have low blood pressure with an injury to all of your body’s systems
Sepsis—this when you have adverse symptoms that involve all of your body systems

Either of these can cause major organ failure, which is when many of your organ systems quit working and in time it can lead to death.

How will you know if you have a leak?

There are many different symptoms that you can have if you have this complication. After having gastric sleeve surgery your surgeon will go over everything with you including any possible complications and the symptoms they would produce. The symptoms for a leak may include:

Pain in your abdomen that does not better but only gets worse
You have swelling in your stomach
Left shoulder or chest pain
Fever
Infection
Dizziness
Any appearance of being sick
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath

You have a leak so how is it fixed?

Fixing this complication of gastric sleeve surgery involves either another surgery or putting in a drainage tube.

Normally surgery is the first and most common option since it hard to know if it is a leak or stomach bleeding from surgery. The surgeon will reopen the patient, close the hole, and clean up where it was leaking. After surgery you will usually have to spend some time in Intensive Care to make sure that there are no more complications. This second surgery will help to strengthen the staple line of the gastric sleeve.
Another option of fixing this complication is putting in a drainage tube to drain away the stomach acids. During this time you will be fed either intravenously or using a catheter. This will allow your stomach to heal so the leak will stop and also will help keep the stomach acids from reaching any other organs.

In Conclusion

This is a rare complication and occurs in one out one hundred patients. It can be a life threatening complication if it is not taken care of so bottom line is if something does not feel right, seek immediate medical attention.

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What Is Gastric Dumping Syndrome?

Weight Loss Surgery and Gastric Sleeve Dumping Syndrome

Gastric Dumping Syndrome is a common bariatric surgery issue, specifically with Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass. After having weight loss surgery the way a person eats changes dramatically. Gone are the large meals because the stomach is reduced by approximately eighty to eighty-five percent leaving only a sleeve or tube that is the shape of a banana. The new stomach you have after gastric sleeve surgery does function normally so you do not have as many food restrictions but you just cannot eat as much.

What is gastric dumping syndrome and why do you get it?

This is the problem that can develop, especially if there are foods eaten that are have a high content of sugar. It is also referred to as rapid gastric emptying. It is very common to have this after having gastric sleeve surgery. Normally a person will experience it after eating but in some cases it will happen one to three hours later. There are some people who have gastric dumping syndrome at both times.

When you have had gastric sleeve surgery the opening that is between your stomach and small intestine has been removed. The opening at stomach, called the pylorus acted as a brake before surgery to help your stomach empty slowly. Since there is no longer a “brake” the stomach contents just rushes into your small intestine. As a result your body reacts by adding a big amount of gastric juices to your small intestine.

What are the symptoms of gastric dumping syndrome?

Gastric dumping syndrome is actually a group of symptoms. Some of these symptoms can include:

Gastrointestinal
1. Nausea
2. Vomiting
3. Abdominal cramps
4. Diarrhea
5. Fullness feeling

Cardiovascular
1. Flushing
2. Feeling lightheaded and/or dizziness
3. Rapid heart rate and/or heart palpitations

If a person has gastric dumping syndrome one to three hours after eating there are other symptoms that can happen. These later symptoms are caused by dumping a large amount of sugar into their intestine. The body responds by releasing a large of amount of insulin which is used to absorb this extra sugar. This can cause hypoglycemia, which is a low level of sugar in your body. These symptoms can include:

Hunger
Sweating
Feeling lightheaded and/or dizziness
Confusion
Fainting
Rapid heart rate and/or heart palpitations

In conclusion

Doing a study on more than one thousand people who have had gastric sleeve surgery, all have experienced gastric dumping syndrome at some point in time. Two-thirds had the early symptoms while the other third had the later symptoms. There were a few who had both symptoms. As you can see, it is a common problem after having weight loss surgery. It is not a life threatening condition and can be easily remedied by changing their eating habits such as

Eat smaller meals
Avoid drinking anything with meals
Limit your intake of drinks and food with a high sugar content
Increase the amount of fiber in your diet
Stay away from foods that are acidic
Lie down at least ten to fifteen minutes after eating

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Alcohol after Gastric Sleeve Surgery—can you Drink?

Choosing to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery requires long-term lifestyle changes, including alcohol consumption. You may want to celebrate loosing weight. The big question is, can you have alcohol after gastric sleeve surgery? The answer is controversial. Some physicians say ‘yes’ if done in moderation and slowly. Other physicians say ‘no’, do not drink alcohol at all. Talk to your physician to see how they feel about drinking after Gastric Sleeve Surgery.

Alcohol After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Here are some of the many reasons that physicians are on the fence about drinking alcohol after gastric sleeve surgery.

Alcohol is very high in calories but has no nutritional values. There is some evidence that red wine does have some health benefits. On a post-weight gastric sleeve surgery diet you want to avoid consuming empty calories which your body will absorb. Drinking alcohol can cause you to gain weight, not lose it.
It can be dangerous as a person who had weight loss surgery can become more intoxicated. They have a higher blood alcohol count. They also took longer to become sober.
Drinking alcohol can become habit-forming. Being post-surgery your sensitivity can be heightened causing you to become addicted to alcohol.
Your metabolism is altered after gastric sleeve surgery. This means that your blood alcohol levels will peak higher. Your blood alcohol levels will also take longer to return to normal levels.
After surgery you need to eat so many calories. For some if they drink alcohol they will eat less food.
Consuming alcohol can deplete the sugar in your body, causing your blood sugar levels to drop. This can lead to patients who have had weight loss surgery to develop low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia. This is a very dangerous condition.
They could have addiction transfer. If the person was addicted to food and now has to reduce how much food they consume they could start a new addiction. This could be addition to alcohol, shopping, gambling, etc.

Guideline for Drinking After Gastric Sleeve

If your physician gives you permission to drink alcohol after gastric sleeve surgery here are some simple guidelines you should follow.

For the first six months after having surgery avoid alcohol
Avoid sugary drink mixers and carbonated beverages
Remember even small amounts can cause low blood sugars. Small amounts can even cause intoxication.
Drink only with meals to help slow alcohol absorption
Check calorie content of the alcohol

In Conclusion

If you have any questions about gastric sleeve surgery and alcohol talk to your physician. Remember that you had surgery to loose weight, not gain it. The empty calories from alcohol can put on a few pounds. If you are a diabetic it can also cause low sugar, which can be dangerous. After reading all the effects alcohol can have on a person who has had gastric sleeve surgery, it would be advisable not to drink alcohol.

Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery

For some women (and men) it may be one of the scariest thoughts that you go through gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery to lose weight and end up losing your hair! It is common to lose hair after bariatric surgery. Hair loss can occur in 40% of patients.

Hair loss happens everyday; it is part of a natural growth cycle. Of course, external factors may affect the rate of hair loss, these include; genetics, stress, environment and diet.

Causes of Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery

Changes in Diet

Hair loss after bariatric surgery is normally caused by the reduction in vitamin and nutritional intake. You may have protein and iron deficiencies in your new diet because of the weight loss surgery.

Changes in Hormones

Hormones levels change post-bariatric surgery; these changes can cause the normal hair growth cycle to be altered. During your weight loss your body is trying to find a new hormonal balance and once you achieve your weight loss goal and your weight stabilizes, so will your hormones.

Trauma of Surgical procedure

If you experience the hair loss right away post-bariatric surgery, the cause may be the surgery event in itself. The physiological stress from the surgery may cause a temporary disturbance to the body that can cause hair loss.

Preventing Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery

The best defense to bariatric surgery hair loss is a good offence. Start with a well-planned post-surgical diet that your bariatric surgeon has given you. You will need to make sure that you get the right balance of vitamins and nutrient levels for your body and activity levels. After your bariatric surgery you may see some hair loss, but this should decline after the first six months.

Treatment for Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery

4 Tips for Preventing Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery

Take the recommended Vitamins and Minerals on a daily Basis
Eat You Protein! Protein is the building blocks of all cells in your body. Your hair requires protein to grow strong and healthy
Have your Iron Levels Checked: This is important if you are past 6 months post op and you are still losing lots of hair
Extra Zinc. If you are one-year post op and are still having issues with hair loss, adding Zinc may be able to reverse hair loss issues in bariatric surgery patients.

It is also important to understand that Stress related hair loss can only be cured by reducing your stress.

By following these tips for hair loss after bariatric surgery you will end up with beautiful shiny strong hair and a rocking body to boot!