Will You Need to Drink Less Water as You Lose Weight?

March 13, 2024

Woman holding glass of water and smiling

When discussing bariatric surgery, hydration is one of the cornerstones of a successful postoperative journey. Dehydration is not only one of the most significant risks for admission to the hospital after surgery but following an appropriate hydration protocol will keep you full when you need to be and help you manage some of the cravings that many bariatric patients will face early on and even later in their bariatric journey.

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What to Do Your Spare Time Before Bariatric Surgery

February 28, 2024

Older man stretching in park with others

Unless you are paying out-of-pocket (cash pay) for your bariatric procedure and can get a surgery date soon, you may be at the mercy of your insurance company and their pre-authorizations for quite a while. Indeed, insurance patients are often subjected to upwards of six months of documentation to ensure their candidacy and suitability for bariatric surgery. Some of these preop requirements are necessary and revolve around patient health. Others have questionable value, but unfortunately, the rules are the rules.

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Measuring Your Success the Right Way After Bariatric Surgery

February 14, 2024

Woman measuring waist size with measuring tape

We discuss qualification for bariatric surgery in terms of excess weight based on the body mass index, or BMI. Then, virtually every conversation regarding the successful failure of surgery revolves around (or at least includes) weight loss. But is this the best way to measure your success after a procedure? Or are there other metrics you should consider when you decide to evaluate your progress?

We all know the answer to the first question, which is, of course, there’s plenty more than just weight loss that we need to consider when deciding if we’ve succeeded in our postop bariatric journey. The marketing around bariatric surgery may not always suggest it, but the primary goal is to improve the comorbidities (diseases related to, or worsened by obesity) associated with excess weight versus the weight loss itself. So, with that, let’s dive into what success looks like after bariatric surgery and when you should be satisfied.

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How Not to Be Your Weight Loss Worst Enemy

January 24, 2024

Woman distressed sitting crossed legged behind scale and measuring tape

Weight loss is tough, even at the best of times, but many of us make it that much more complicated by not addressing some of the biggest concerns associated with weight loss, thus making it more challenging to succeed. Unfortunately, with all the problems we deal with in everyday life, many of us don’t lose the weight we should or want to, or we avoid tough decisions to get the appropriate treatment.

To understand bariatric surgery success, we must discuss the mindset needed for our weight loss journey. Here are the top five things we can do to get out of our own way.

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Chronic Pain After Inguinal Hernia Surgery

January 10, 2024

Man hunched over on couch grabbing stomach due to intense pain

The concept of chronic pain after an inguinal hernia repair is a topic of much debate. There are two main questions:

  1. What is the actual incidence of chronic pain after hernia repair?
  2. What is the cause of chronic pain after a hernia repair?

As always, it is essential to define the problem. Chronic hernia pain is continuous pain for three or more months after surgery. Affected patients may experience various pain levels, from mild to severe. The overall incidence is low in our practice. To decrease the risk, we should discuss the causes.

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How Often Should You Go to the Gym (And What to Do) After Bariatric Surgery?

December 20, 2023

Woman working out at gym on treadmill

After bariatric surgery, you enter an exciting time in your life. You’ve had surgery, and the weight is starting to come off, probably quite rapidly. Most patients wish to build on this excitement by hitting the gym hard and enhancing their results. That said, it’s often difficult to know, especially if you weren’t a gym-goer earlier in life, how often to go and what exercises you should perform when you get there. Mind you, early on after bariatric surgery, we do not want you going to the gym and lifting heavy weights. It will take about 6 to 8 weeks before you are cleared to do so. We also know many patients will be intimidated by the gym. This is perfectly normal. Just getting up and going is an achievement in and of itself. Even if you do minimal strength training in the beginning, you’ll soon feel comfortable and start building up your routine.

With this in mind, it’s important to set proper expectations. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks of consistent gym work to see the results of your efforts. Unfortunately, many people quit before they reach that point. You’ll also want to note you will likely gain weight in the early days of your strength training regimen. This is because you are building muscle at a faster rate than you are losing fat.

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Five Questions to Ask at Your Bariatric Consultation

December 6, 2023

Doctor and patient during consultation, doctor writing on clipboard while patients hands are folded

We see hundreds of patients yearly who go on to have very successful metabolic surgery with one of our bariatric surgeons. Each operation is unique in that every patient is different; their care plan must be tailored to their motivations and ultimate goals. To that end, no consultation is ever the same, even if some of the questions are. To help you prepare for your first consultation, we have listed five questions every patient should ask their surgeon. Remember, the answers to these questions will vary between patients, so if your spouse, friend, or family member has had bariatric surgery, the answer may differ slightly from yours. The answers below are generic but offer a great starting point for a deeper discussion.

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Can Long-Term PPI Use Cause Dementia?

November 22, 2023

package of PPI medication on pick backdrop

Acid reflux is one of the most common digestive concerns occasionally experienced by people the world over. Most people will experience some acid reflux in their lifetime, especially after a heavy meal or eating spicy food. However, acid reflux becomes problematic when patients experience it regularly, at which point it can be considered chronic – known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. This condition can be very troublesome for the discomfort it causes – often a burning sensation in the chest and throat. Sometimes, the burning in the chest is bad enough that patients believe they are having a heart attack. Beyond that, GERD can cause yellowed teeth, premature wearing of tooth enamel, a persistent dry cough, esophageal stricture, and more. It can even lead to a pre-cancerous condition known as Barrett’s Esophagus. In some cases, this can lead to esophageal cancer, which can be very aggressive and challenging to treat.

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What’s Your Ideal Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight? It Depends…

November 8, 2023

close up of feet standing on a scale

While the term “weight loss surgery” describes a baseline benefit of the bariatric procedures we perform, it doesn’t fully represent the most critical parts of the result – improvement or elimination of obesity and its related diseases or comorbidities, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and much more. However, weight loss is such an obvious and easily measured benefit of surgery patients are often primarily concerned with that more than anything else. It would be safe to say most patients bring up their ideal post-surgical weight within the first few minutes of their consultation.

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PPIs for Chronic Reflux – Understanding the Risks and Considerations

October 18, 2023

Woman with PPI pill in hand grabbing with two fingers

GERD is very common in modern-day American society. Many millions, by some estimations 20-25% of Americans, suffer from chronic reflux. The prevalence and significant increase over the past decade or two are best explained by the explosion in overweight and obesity in the United States during that time. Ultimately, one of the most common reasons for gastric reflux is intra-abdominal pressure caused by excess belly fat pushing on the stomach and forcing caustic gastric juices into the esophagus, essentially burning its sensitive lining.

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