Mentally Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery

Many patients focus on the psychological adjustments they will have to make after surgery. After all, we are all having bariatric surgery in order to achieve goals; one of which is to improve our diet and general lifestyle over the long-term. As the typical patient understands, improving these parts of our lives are not as easy as following a diet and exercise plan. We have a good days and bad days, sometimes we are motivated and other times we simply don’t want to follow the plan. All of this is very normal but makes for some challenges after bariatric surgery. This is especially true over the long term when our weight begins to stabilize, and we don’t see the incredible results of early postoperative life.

Continue reading

When Is Weight Regain Normal? When Is It Problematic? After Bariatric Surgery

You may have had bariatric surgery after years if not decades of yo-yo dieting – losing a significant amount of weight only to gain it right back – sometimes even reaching higher weight heights than you had before. Weight regain, sadly, is a very normal part of an obese person‘s life.

It may also be the case that after bariatric surgery, you saw several months or even a couple years of consistent weight loss allowing you to reach your ultimate body weight goals. When you finally hit that number, it can be a thrilling experience and the culmination of years of hard work and difficult decisions. However, once you hit your goal weight, you’ve only just begun your journey. Staying at your new lower weight requires as much dedication as the weight-loss leading to that point. It is at this point where many patients begin to regain some weight.

Continue reading

Protein Mistakes Bariatric Surgery Patients Often Make

From well before bariatric surgery to long after, one common theme is protein. Bariatric patients require at least 60 to 80 grams of protein each day. This may seem daunting, but patients quickly find that it is not terribly hard to achieve this goal with thoughtful eating. With time, knowing exactly how to get to your protein requirement becomes second nature. However, not all proteins are made the same. Here are mistakes some patients make that reduce the effectiveness of their protein consumption regimen.

Continue reading

The Effect of Obesity and Diabetes on Patients With COVID-19

An article published in the journal Diabetologia in April of this year (Cariou, et al.) showed that of patients with diabetes who were hospitalized with the novel Sars-Cov-2 virus, obesity was associated with worse outcomes. In fact, BMI was the only independent factor that was associated with higher rates of being intubated and/or death within 7 days.

Continue reading

Grocery Shopping after Bariatric Surgery

It may seem trivial, but grocery shopping is one of the first lifestyle changes you have to get used to after surgery. For one, grocery shopping after bariatric surgery will never be the same as what it was before the procedure. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is that many products sold in the grocery store are simply unhealthful. These products may have caused the excess weight or obesity in the past and may be some of your favorite foods. However, grocery shopping does not have to be torture. Rather, it can be a catalyst for jump-starting healthy eating habits, not only for yourself but your entire family. In this blog, we will discuss the various tips and tricks that you should use when going to the grocery store. This will help ensure that it is both a successful and enjoyable experience.

Continue reading

Understanding Vitamin B12 Deficiencies after Bariatric Surgery

Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common reasons for supplementation after any bariatric procedure, but especially after the gastric bypass. Most patients will get some vitamin B12 in their daily multivitamin, however, many will require additional supplementation in the form of a pill or a longer-lasting injection.

Before we get started, it is important to understand a little bit more about what vitamin B12 does and where it is found. The key function of vitamin B12 is to enhance the growth and replication of cells in the body. The benefits here are wide ranging. However, B12 is also important in the proper functioning of the nervous system and how our brain and spine connect to and communicate with the rest of our bodies.

Continue reading

Is A Hernia Ever an Emergency?

With elective surgeries curtailed or completely halted in most hospitals throughout the country, there is some question amongst patients as to what exactly constitutes an emergency procedure – especially in general surgery – where many procedures are considered elective or semi-elective. We have discussed the urgency of hernias before and concluded that in some patients it may be OK to wait to repair the hernia. We have also been quite clear that hernias may require urgent care in certain circumstances.

Continue reading

To Shave or Not Shave – Preoperative Preparation

Whether it’s on TV or experience from your own surgery years ago, common (and now proven incorrect) knowledge tells us that shaving the surgical area makes surgery easier and minimizes impediments. Recent research, over the past 10 or 20 years, has determined that there are specific rules we should follow when it comes to shaving the surgical area to minimize the risk of postoperative complications. Studies have shown the risk of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is higher in patients with a shaved surgical area versus those that that were not shaved.

Continue reading

GERD Treatment Options With Zantac (Ranitidine) Now Recalled

On April 1, 2020, the FDA announced a recall of ranitidine, also known as Zantac, a common medication used to treat reflux in adults and children. Removing this medication from shelves and urging all users to dispose of the drug and cease taking it comes after months of warnings and increasing concern about the potential dangers of a suspected carcinogen NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine). Research concluded that the levels of NDMA were above what is considered to be safe. Warmer storage temperatures of ranitidine containing products, like Zantac, can lead to an increase in concentrations of this suspected carcinogen. Levels were also seen to increase with time, meaning the longer the product was on the shelf, or say in your medicine cabinet, the higher the dangerous NDMA levels could climb. With all of this in the news, many GERD sufferers are exploring their options without ranitidine.

Continue reading

Do Not Delay Emergency Care Despite COVID-19

Most of us have a basic understanding that there is an appropriate time to go to the emergency room and when that time comes, we go without hesitation. However, as it has with just about everything in our lives, the COVID-19 crisis has the potential to change our health behaviors in a very serious, and quite frankly, dangerous way. One of the consequences of constant COVID-19 crisis coverage may be that many people believe that hospitals are (or soon will be) completely overrun and that they have become a breeding ground for the virus – in other words: avoid at all costs. That’s far from the truth.

Continue reading