If you have taken the big decision to go ahead with bariatric surgery, one thing you need to prepare for well in advance is the additional effort that is required after the surgery to ensure it is a success. The results will be evident only after a few months post the surgery. This period requires your constant attention. 

Listed below are some after-care measures that are essential for the success of a bariatric surgery.

Hospital stay: Most patients are advised hospital stay for four days, during which the hospital staff will ensure the sleeve is working fine. No food is allowed for 48 hours. Diet is gradually advanced from water to clear liquids, about 50 ml to 100 ml and then to 150 ml.
Wound care: Depending on whether a laparoscopic or open surgery was done, the number and location of incisions will vary. However, the wound should be maintained clean and it should be ensured that there is no infection of the site. Wound care should be done by the nursing staff if required. Suture removal, if required, should be done as per doctor s advice.
Pain management: Finish the course of antibiotics and pain killers to ensure infection is completely gone. Pain would continue, if the infection is not completely controlled.
Diet: The first two weeks would be a completely liquid diet. The next two weeks will consist of a pureed diet. After these four weeks, solid foods will be introduced.
Foods to avoid after a bariatric surgery include anything with a higher protein content and anything that has too much oil as the stomach s ability to digest these is reduced. Refrain from:

Carbonated beverages
Hard meat
Nuts and seeds
Fried foods
Food items to include post bariatric surgery include those which are easy on the stomach, including:

Liquids such as soups, broth, juice, and milk
Pureed cooked vegetables and eggs
Soft mashed food including meat and vegetables
Adherence to this will reduce complications. While eating, the patient should also remember to chew nicely, eat and drink slowly, increase water intake throughout the day, and avoid fats and sugar. It is advisable to eat three proper meals a day and avoid snacking during the day.

Remember that the need for bariatric surgery arose in the first place due to uncontrolled eating of oily food. After undergoing a bariatric surgery, diet pattern is definitely going to move to a healthier side with reduced fat and sugars. It is not an easy shift, but definitely required, if the surgery is to be a success. Imagine the new you and you will be able to do it!

Bariatric Surgery - Aftercare Tips You Must Follow!

When dieting and exercising fail to help an obese person manage their weight, bariatric surgery may be suggested. One of the most popular types of bariatric surgery is a gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy. The main aim of this surgery is to reduce the amount of food that can be consumed in one sitting. It does not affect the amount of nutrients and fats absorbed from the food that has been eaten. A majority of the weight loss resulting from this surgery happens within 12-18 months.

A gastric sleeve surgery is a relatively safe, straightforward and short surgery. Prior to surgery, few patients would have been given a special diet.  This surgery is always  performed laparoscopically popularly known as keyhole route. More than half the outer side of the stomach is removed. The remaining part of the stomach takes the form of a tube. 

Though recovery from any surgery varies from person to person, most patients are able to walk and allowed sips of water by evening. Though certain amount of pain and discomfort is expected, this remains in bearable range with pain killers. Usually liquid diet is advised for 2 weeks followed by soft foods for 4 weeks.

You will notice that you feel fuller much faster and are able to consume a very limited portion of your normal food intake. It is essential to drink plenty of water to remain adequately hydrated and to prevent constipation.

On an average, this surgery can help people lose up to 70% - 100%% of their excess body weight. However, this depends largely on your understanding and compliance of post operative dietary changes. A dietician can also help you make right food choices, decide meal portions and address the right number of meals needed by your body. For long term weight maintenance it is important not to fall back to your earlier lifestyle and to maintain a positive attitude.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery - What Is The Process Of It?

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy may sound like a very complex medical procedure. Well, that should not come as a surprise because that is pretty much what it is. In any case, however, would it not be more than a little interesting to get to know more about this complex sounding procedure?

The cholecystectomy is required when there is a need to remove the gallbladder. When it comes to the surgery itself, there are two options from which a person can choose, in consultation with the doctor. There is the traditional sort and there is the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The traditional way of performing the surgery requires that there is a cut made along the right side of the person s body, from which the surgeon removes the gallbladder.

When a person goes for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there is no need for a long cut of the body or anything of that sort! In its stead, there are a few very small incisions which are made of the abdomen of the patient and even a video camera is inserted through one of these incisions!

The use that is served by the camera is that it provides the surgeon with the view required inside the abdomen to perform the surgery without having to cut open much of the abdomen. Using the tools at his or her disposal, the surgeon can perform the same operation. Now, does that sound seem to be a lot better?

One of the great advantages about the laparoscopic cholecystectomy as compared to an open cholecystectomy is the fact that the recovery time is so much shorter! While the open surgery takes about an hour or two for the procedure itself and generally two to three whole days after it to recover, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy means that the patient can generally go home the same day, after spending about just ten hours at the hospital! That being said, in some cases, the doctors recommend that a night is spent at the hospital so that everything is stable.

Taking this into consideration, the time it takes for a person to get back to normal and do anything and everything that he or she wants is a lot less when the surgery was of the laparoscopic variety. Care needs to be taken though, but within a week to ten days, everything should be just fine.

Pain in the gallbladder, unfortunately, affects some people, but laparoscopic is the way to go!

Gallbladder Removal Surgery - Tips To Help You Recover!

Ovarian Cancer, as the name suggests, is a cancer that affects the ovaries. It leads to the abnormal growth of cells, which eventually spreads over to other parts of a woman s body, such as the stomach, uterus and vagina. The risk of ovarian cancer is greater in women who have experienced the process of ovulation many times in their lifetime. It also includes those women who attain menopause at a much later stage in their lives or those who start ovulation at an early age. The different types of tumors, which develop in ovarian cells are more often than not, benign or non-cancerous and do not spread beyond the ovaries. 

Therefore, they can be easily treated by either removing a part or the whole of the ovary. But malign tumors have the ability to spread to other parts of the body and can prove to be fatal.

What are the causes of ovarian cancer

1. Family History: If someone in your close relation like mother, sister or daughter has developed ovarian cancer, then the risk of becoming susceptible to the disease also increases. If any of your close relatives have developed the disease earlier at a young age, then it s quite likely that it was due to some inherited faulty gene. BCRA1 and BCRA2 are known to be the faulty genes that are connected to ovarian cancer.

2. Age: You become more susceptible to developing ovarian cancer at a postmenopausal stage.

3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Women who go for hormone replacement therapy put themselves at a greater risk of developing the disease. Nevertheless, if you stop undergoing the sessions of HRT, your risk of suffering from this fatal condition eventually decreases.

4. Obesity/overweight: This is also one of the important factors behind the increased risks of developing ovarian cancer. So, the more obese you are, greater is the risk involved.

What are the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer?

1. Symptoms at an initial stage include pelvic or abdominal pain, postmenopausal vaginal bleeding or irregular menstruation.

2. Loss of appetite or feeling full quickly

3. Other typical symptoms are diarrhea, constipation, nausea or changes in bowel movements.

4. Feeling of mass pressure at your lower back or pelvis

Treatment available for it

Treatment for ovarian cancer generally consists of a combination of surgery and chemotherapy:

1. Surgery: Treatment usually entails removal of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes, including the surrounding lymph nodes as well as the fatty abdominal tissue, which often gets affected with ovarian cancer. This surgery may help you to retain the ability to conceive.

2. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a procedure that follows a surgery and is performed to destroy the remaining cancer cells, if any. Chemotherapy drugs are either inserted into your vein or directly into the abdominal cavity and if need be, into both.

Ovarian Cancer - Are you at a risk?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a chronic condition that can cause discomfort and a burning sensation in the chest. This is caused by stomach acids or bile that flows backward into the food pipe. If this happens more than twice a week, the patient may be diagnosed with GERD. Mild cases of GERD may be treated with lifestyle changes, antacids, diet changes and proton pump inhibitors. In more serious cases, surgery may also be needed. This aims at repairing or replacing the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This valve is responsible for the backward movement of acids from the stomach to the food pipe.

Types of Surgery for GERD
Surgery is usually the last option for doctors treating GERD. This relieves symptoms of GERD and eliminates the need for long-term medication. There are many different types of surgical treatments. Some of the factors that determine the best type of surgery suited to a patient include the patient s age, weight, overall health etc.

Fundoplication: This surgery focuses on tightening the LES. Fundoplication may be performed as an open surgery or as a laparoscopic surgery. In both cases, the stomach is wrapped around the lower esophagus to reinforce and strengthen the LES. Fundoplication is the most common surgical procedure used to treat GERD and has a high success rate.
Stretta Procedure: This is an outpatient procedure that is performed using an endoscope. The doctor will pass a thin tube with an electrode at one end down the patient s esophagus. The electrode heats the tissue in the esophagus and makes tiny cuts. These cuts will then form scar tissue that strengthens the muscles surrounding the esophagus and blocks acid reflux. This is a fairly new procedure and hence the long-term results are still not clear.
Bard EndoCinch System: This procedure is not very common. It involves the use of an endoscope that is used to make stitches in the esophagus so as to create pleats in the LES. This helps strengthen the valve and prevent acid reflux.
Linx Surgery: This is a minimally invasive surgery where a special device called a linx is wrapped around the LES. A linx can be described as a small ring of magnetic titanium beads. This ring allows food to pass through but otherwise keeps the opening between the esophagus and stomach closed. Linx surgery is a relatively new procedure that has shown good results.
Recovering from Surgery for GERD
Recovering from surgery for GERD depends largely on the type of surgery undergone. Laparoscopic procedures have a short recovery time and are associated with less pain as compared to traditional open surgeries. Open surgery usually takes 2 weeks for full recovery while a patient may recover from laparoscopic surgery within a week.

Surgery For GERD - Types, Results and Recovery

Heartburn is a common symptom experienced by many people, but is often overlooked as indigestion. Besides making you uncomfortable, this can be a sign of a much bigger health problem. While the occasional heartburn can be treated with antacids, chronic heartburn can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux. Here are three important reasons you should not ignore heartburn.

It can promote tooth decay:The acid regurgitated might not necessarily stop in the esophagus. It can often also make its way into your mouth. When this happens frequently it can promote tooth decay and wear out enamel. This can also leave your mouth with a sour taste. Acid reflux induced tooth erosion can easily be prevented by the early treatment of acid reflux,but in most cases is noticed only after the damage has been done.
It can cause cancer of the esophagus:Chronic acid reflux that persists for years can lead to changes in the cells of the esophagus. This can lead to a cancerous condition known as Barrett's esophagus. The condition has no other symptoms can if left untreated can develop into cancer of the esophagus. Women are at a higher risk of this form of cancer than men. Though esophageal cancer is relatively rare, it is not something to be trifled with. The survival rate of esophageal cancer is very low in comparison to other forms of cancer. Only 15-20% patients live longer than 5 years after this condition is diagnosed.
It can lead to breathing problems:Heartburn is caused by stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. If it is inhaled after regurgitation, it can worsen asthmatic conditions and pneumonia. At the same time, treating acid reflux with medication like PPIs can also increase the risk of pneumonia as it can promote bacterial growth and suppress coughing. Thus, when consulting a doctor for acid reflux treatment ensure that you mention any existing asthmatic conditions so that you can be treated with your lung functioning in mind.
In addition, acid reflux can also impact a person's health and quality of life. To prevent heartburn people often find themselves avoiding certain foods. This can impact their social lives and in turn make them withdrawing into themselves. A person's sleep can also be affected by heartburn. Hence, it is important to treat heart burn as early as possible and not wait for it to become a chronic problem.

GERD / Heartburn - 3 Reasons Why You Should Not Ignore it 

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