If you watch any of the reality health shows on television these days, chances are you will see a segment that features weight loss surgery for someone who is obese and has numerous health problems such as high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. This is a relatively new field called bariatric surgery and in general it is considered a last resort for those who are at least one hundred pounds over their ideal body weight and have tried other weight loss methods without success.
    Adam Dungey is a registered nurse and the coordinator of the Central Mississippi Medical Center’s Comprehensive Weight Management Center. Dungey noted that the Center offers a medically supervised meal replacement program as well as bariatric surgery.  There are two types of surgery performed CMMC, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the Lap-Band®. “The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery reduces the stomach to a half-cup sized pouch so patients get full very quickly,” explained Dungey. The Lap-Band® is placed around the stomach and can be tightened to allow only very small amounts of food to pass through the opening. The Roux-en-Y procedure is not reversible but the Lap-Band® can be removed.  Dungey pointed out that patients must make a life-long commitment to eat right, exercise and come back to CMMC for follow-up medical appointments. “We see patients frequently in the first year and then at least once a year for the rest of their lives. They have access to the registered dietitian and psychologist or any other member of the team if they need help sticking to their new lifestyle,” stated Dungey. If they follow the program after surgery, patients can expect to lose 50 to 75 percent of the excess weight they are carrying over the next one to two years. For example, someone who is 100 pounds overweight could expect to lose 50 to 75 pounds and they usually see dramatic improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugars within the first six weeks after surgery.
      Sandi Herring is the registered dietitian with the Comprehensive Weight Management Center who works with these patients to teach them new diet and lifestyle habits. She explained that patients will have to eat about a half-cup of food each meal for the rest of their lives. This typical meal includes about two ounces of lean meat, a tablespoon of fruit or starch, a tablespoon of vegetables and no liquids with meals. Patients are taught to drink liquids throughout the day between meals for a total of about 64 ounces of fluid. “Patients will need a chewable complete multivitamin with iron and 600 milligrams calcium citrate with vitamin D twice a day for the rest of their lives. They may also need additional iron or B12 supplementation to prevent anemia,” Herring pointed out. Patients are asked to walk briskly for 30 to 45 minutes 3 to 5 days a week and are encouraged to join a bariatric surgery support group. Surgery isn’t for everyone, but it can be life-saving for the appropriate patients.