Author: jefftormey

What Recovery From Lap Band Surgery Looks Like

Written by jefftormey on August 16, 2024. Posted in Laparoscopic Procedure. No Comments on What Recovery From Lap Band Surgery Looks Like

One of the main concerns when it comes to weight loss surgery, whether lap band or gastric sleeve, is the recovery process. What if you are looking for a procedure that is quick and doesn’t require a lot of time to recover from? The best option is the lap band procedure. The recovery time after lap band surgery is around 1–4 weeks, after which you can resume your usual daily activities. So, what should you expect during the healing process?

Physical Activity

Remember to give your body enough time to heal, and it starts by taking a break and not lifting any heavy items or doing any strenuous tasks. Rest if you feel tired in any way, and practice breathing exercises whenever you can. The more you feel better, the more you can start exercising, starting with brief walks.

Diet

If you want to reduce how long recovery takes from lap band surgery, remember to watch your diet. Your doctor will be very clear on what you shouldn’t eat and drink because you are supposed to avoid solid foods immediately after surgery. Start with water and gradually introduce solids back into your diet.

Medicine

A crucial aspect to remember during your healing is medication. You will need medication to manage the pain after the surgery and get you back on your feet. If you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medicine, make sure you take it as advised and under your doctor’s guidance.

Incision Care

You will leave the surgery with strips of bandages. If you want to shorten the recovery time for lap band surgery, make sure that you avoid tampering with the tape. Leave it on for at least a week to give it time to fall off on its own, and make sure you wash the areas around it with warm water. However, do not take a bath or directly wash the incisions. In case of a slight oozing of fluids from the wound, make sure that you change the bandage every day.

Call for Help

You should expect a smooth recovery process when the surgery is done by the best in the industry. However, there is no control over incidents like passing out or losing your breath. To avoid problems escalating, make sure you seek urgent medical attention if you have extreme pain that doesn’t go away even after medication, your leg swells up, or there is pus coming from the incisions.

Consult Our Medical Professionals for Your Lap Band Surgery

Follow-up care after lap band surgery in NYC is one of the most important factors in speeding up your recovery. For appointments and emergencies, reach out to our experts at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Can Weight Loss Surgery Help With Type 2 Diabetes?

Written by jefftormey on August 14, 2024. Posted in Weight Loss Surgery. No Comments on Can Weight Loss Surgery Help With Type 2 Diabetes?

Taking serious steps when it comes to changing your lifestyle goes a long way to managing type 2 diabetes. However, there are still chances that the disease may progress, and you may also have other complications, especially if you are struggling with obesity. Therefore, you may want to know if bariatric surgery can help with type 2 diabetes.

How Does Bariatric Surgery Help With Diabetes?

Did you know that obesity and diabetes are both products of issues with your body’s metabolism? Diabetes occurs when the body starts forming a resistance to insulin, which is the hormone responsible for regulating the blood’s sugar levels. Therefore, significant weight loss through surgery has so many benefits, including sending type 2 diabetes into remission.

However, this doesn’t mean you will be cured of diabetes. It helps you control it, such that you don’t have to heavily rely on medication to help control your blood sugar. The more weight you lose, the higher the chances of managing diabetes, and here’s how.

Healthier BMI

One of the main advantages of undergoing a weight loss procedure is that it helps you speed up the process of regaining a healthy body mass index. When you can reduce the amount of food you take, you also reduce the number of calories absorbed by your body. This way, you gain better control of your blood sugar levels and decrease the body’s resistance to insulin.

Healthier Metabolism

Another way of helping diabetes with weight loss surgery is by encouraging better metabolism. Bariatric surgery has a way of triggering changes in the production of gut hormones, which means your metabolism improves, so you regain control over your sugar levels. Thanks to the production of hormones like ghrelin and GLP-1, the body’s production of insulin improves, helping the body utilize the blood sugar and prevent it from building up.

Better Metabolism

Take the gastric bypass procedure, for instance, where the surgeon separates the stomach into two chambers. The smallest part is directly connected to the small intestines, as the larger section is bypassed, so it is unable to receive food. When the intestines are rerouted like this, it affects the way that the body metabolizes insulin, and this has a huge effect on dealing with diabetes.

Bariatric Surgery Experts in NYC

If you have any questions about how bariatric surgery can help manage type 2 diabetes or any other disease, be sure to reach out to our experts in bariatric surgery in NYC at Lenox Hill Hospital.

What to Expect in the First Three Weeks After a Gastric Sleeve

Written by jefftormey on August 13, 2024. Posted in Gastric Sleeve Surgery. No Comments on What to Expect in the First Three Weeks After a Gastric Sleeve

You should be prepared that there will be some changes after undergoing a gastric sleeve, particularly in the first few weeks. It ranges from simple aspects like mood swings to significant ones like weight loss. Are you planning on this surgery? Here is what to expect after gastric sleeve surgery.

What Happens in the First Three Weeks After Surgery?

You may not have a lot of expectations after gastric sleeve weight loss surgery during the first few weeks, but note that it is one of the most important phases in your journey. This is the time where you heal, and the body starts adjusting to the new changes. You should also expect weight loss at this stage—and at a rapid rate.

Patients at this time report significant loss of weight because, for one, now their diet is restricted, and their stomach holds less food. The body now starts tapping into its fat reserves because there is less food intake, and that leads to weight loss.

What Is the Average Weight Loss to Expect?

Every case is different because bodies vary, so there is no particular number in regard to how much weight you should expect to lose in the first few weeks. However, experts believe that around this time, you may lose up to 10–20% of your excess body weight. So, that means that if you weighed 100 pounds in extra weight, you may lose 10–20 pounds within the first three weeks.

What Causes the Weight Loss Variations?

Among the things to expect after gastric sleeve surgery is that your results will not be the same as those of another patient. Individual journeys are different, so weight loss rates and patterns vary based on the case. For instance, patients who religiously follow dietary guidelines, gradually transitioning from liquid to solid food and avoiding things like alcohol after surgery, report better results.

In the same light, patients who engage in physical activity end up losing more weight down the line. Also, remember to account for individual variations like starting weight, rate of metabolism, state of health, and other factors. That’s why it is advisable to work closely with your doctors to make sure that you get the best results in the shortest time.

Let Our Professional Surgeons Help

Every individual is different. Once you undergo a gastric sleeve in NYC, remember to frequently consult with your healthcare team. Our professionals at Lenox Hill Hospital are available to guide you through the surgery and recovery—and all the way to your success story.

Can I Have Bariatric Surgery With a Hiatal Hernia?

Written by jefftormey on August 12, 2024. Posted in Weight Loss Surgery. No Comments on Can I Have Bariatric Surgery With a Hiatal Hernia?

Have you been dealing with heartburn, vomiting, and other side effects of having a hiatal hernia? Obesity has a role to play when it comes to the development of the condition, but what if you want to undergo bariatric surgery? You have so many questions, and it makes you wonder if you can even have weight loss surgery if you have a hernia. Here is what you need to know.

What Is a Hiatal Hernia?

This is a condition whereby a part of a patient’s stomach starts protruding into the chest through the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest and the abdomen. It is quite common for people to report having the condition, which causes symptoms such as heartburn, pain in the chest, and issues with swallowing food. Usually, a hiatal hernia doesn’t need treatment unless there are more severe complications.

You will also notice that it is more common in people battling with obesity because they experience issues with high pressure in their abdomen. The only problem comes when a hiatal hernia patient wants a surgical weight loss procedure. Can a person have weight loss surgery with a hiatal hernia? Yes, they can, and the good news is that the surgeon can perform the bariatric surgery and correct the hernia at the same time.

Hiatal Hernia Repair During Weight Loss Surgery

If you were wondering if hiatal surgery can be combined with bariatric surgery, the simple answer is yes. In fact, once you get the surgery done, chances are high that the hernia will reduce or be eliminated even without the experts actively handling it, although it may return. Therefore, surgeons recommend you get the repair done together with the bariatric surgery. This way, the risk of hernia returning is significantly low.

How to Identify a Hernia Before Weight Loss Surgery

If you have been complaining about pain in the chest or top part of the abdomen and are vomiting or have serious heartburn, the doctor will help determine if you have a hiatal hernia. The testing can be done through an X-ray, endoscopy, or esophageal manometry. If they find out that you have a hiatal hernia, it is easier to plan the next step: whether to repair it through surgery or not actively address it.

Talk to Qualified Professionals

Thanks to bariatric surgery and hernia repair, you end up not only losing weight but also reducing the symptoms of GERD. If you are looking for help with weight loss surgery in New York, consider reaching out to our experts at Lenox Hill Hospital.

How to Choose a Bariatric Surgeon

Written by jefftormey on July 23, 2024. Posted in Bariatric Surgery. No Comments on How to Choose a Bariatric Surgeon

If other methods of weight loss don’t seem to work, you may opt for weight loss surgery. It can be overwhelming because you have so many questions, and since you are doing it for the first time, you want to go for only the best service. Before undergoing the life-changing procedure, below are tips for choosing a bariatric surgeon.

Get Referrals

As with any other procedure, you want to do your due diligence when finding the right team for the job. The first place to start is to get a list of referrals, where you compile details of the best surgeons in your region based on recommendations from friends and family members. If someone you know had a successful bariatric procedure, that should help you narrow down your list.

Check Credentials

Another important consideration when it comes to how to choose the right bariatric surgeon is that they must be accredited. The doctors must have the relevant skills and training and must have been in the industry for a while. Are they certified? Are they practicing in a recognized facility? While at it, check that there are no reports of malpractice or disciplinary cases against them.

Hospital Quality

One important consideration to make is the kind of hospital where the surgery will take place. You are looking for a facility with the best services and equipment and the best performance when it comes to weight loss surgeries. Apart from going for only the best, some patients also consider proximity. Is it an institution you can easily reach when making follow-up visits and going for consultations? This goes a long way to guarantee a speedy recovery and a successful procedure.

Communication Style

One aspect that often goes overlooked when choosing the right bariatric surgeon is their communication style. You want a team that you can freely talk to, that empathizes with you and your needs, and is ready to answer your questions and provide assurance. Make sure that you get a surgeon who is dedicated to taking you through the entire journey.

Insurance Cover

Does your surgeon participate in your insurance coverage? The aim is to find a practice that allows your insurance coverage so that you will spend the least amount of expenses out-of-pocket. Considering how crucial the surgery is, you want to save as much money as possible.

Settle for the Best Bariatric Surgery in NYC

Weight loss surgery is a life-changing experience, and you need a dedicated team of professionals to come along on your journey. Trust the professionals at Lenox Hill Hospital if you are looking for the best bariatric surgeon in NYC that ticks all your boxes.

Can the Stomach Stretch After a Gastric Sleeve?

Written by jefftormey on July 22, 2024. Posted in Gastric Sleeve Surgery. No Comments on Can the Stomach Stretch After a Gastric Sleeve?

You already know how the gastric sleeve works. The goal is to reduce the size of the stomach by as much as 80%, which ensures that your stomach holds less food and you feel full faster. However, there is one concern among patients: Can you stretch out your stomach after a gastric sleeve?

Can Your Stomach Stretch After Sleeve Surgery?

The whole point of a gastric sleeve is to reduce the size of your stomach and, in turn, reduce your food intake. However, if your stomach regains its original size, your food intake will increase, and chances are high that your weight will increase again. This is the last thing that you want to happen after surgery. Unfortunately, it is possible. If you keep overeating, your stomach will gradually start adapting and extending to find more room for the extra food.

What Happens When Your Stomach Stretches?

The stomach is designed to naturally stretch, considering that its walls consist of expanding tissues. It is a normal reaction when food enters the pouch, as it informs the body that it is full. The only problem is that when you overeat, it causes a permanent increase in size. It will interfere with the normal signaling process, so the body won’t know that it is time to stop. As a result, you risk regaining the weight you have been trying so hard to lose.

How to Prevent Stomach Stretching After a Gastric Sleeve

Because the stomach can stretch after a gastric sleeve, it is important to know how to prevent it.

Avoid Overeating

You want to eat small portions of food. Otherwise, you risk overeating and making it a habit, so the stomach gradually starts to expand to accommodate the extra food.

Limit Fluid Intake While Eating

Make sure you only ingest fluids a few hours after eating. This way, you avoid excessively filling your stomach. It is even worse when it is carbonated drinks, which increase pressure in the pouch, leading to pain and reflux.

Eat Small Snacks in Between Meals

If you end up feeling extremely hungry between meals, you can try to eat small snacks. Healthy snacks make you feel full and prevent you from overindulging on your next meal.

Rely on Experienced Gastric Sleeve Surgery Professionals

If you are looking forward to your first bariatric surgery or have just had one, the last thing you want is for your stomach’s size to increase. To help keep your weight in check, let the experts at Lenox Hill Hospital perform your gastric sleeve surgery in NYC.

How to Keep the Weight Off After Bariatric Surgery

Written by jefftormey on July 16, 2024. Posted in Bariatric Surgery. No Comments on How to Keep the Weight Off After Bariatric Surgery

Imagine the excitement after finding out that you are a good candidate for weight loss surgery. There is one more challenge, and that is knowing how to keep your weight in check after the surgery. Luckily, all you need is the right state of mind and discipline. It is achievable with the following tips on how to maintain weight after bariatric surgery.

Eat Smaller Portions of the Right Foods

Succeeding in your weight loss journey starts with your food options and their portions. Specialists recommend limiting your intake to small servings a couple of times a day, allowing the stomach more time to digest, especially now that there have been changes in your digestive system. While at it, make sure that you eat the right foods. You want to avoid starch in all its forms, which includes bread, pasta, rice, chips, cereal, and sweets. A half to 2 cups a day will do, and even so, they must have a high fiber content.

Avoid Grazing

One more challenge you will have to overcome when learning how to maintain weight loss after gastric sleeve is to avoid continuous snacking all through the day. After surgery, the goal is for your reduced stomach to stay full, such that you don’t have to keep nibbling on high-calorie snacks. You want to pay more attention to options rich in fiber and proteins to leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Avoid Eating Out

It is understandable that people can get busy and will resort to ordering food instead of cooking, but that also has so many downsides when it comes to keeping the weight off. You want to track what you eat, making sure it is healthy and nutritious, which may be a problem when the food you order contains excessive calories. Prioritize cooking your own food, but if you must eat out, check that you avoid junk and only eat healthy meals in small portions.

Exercise Daily

If you are wondering how to maintain weight after a gastric bypass, daily exercise is the best way to do so. This is a foolproof way to keep your body active and burn excess calories. You have a higher chance of success in the short term when you stay active every day instead of solely relying on the surgery.

Maintain Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery

The best way to avoid weight gain after surgery is to eat small portions of healthy foods and exercise daily. If you are planning to undergo surgery or have concerns about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reach out to our experts in bariatric surgery in NY at Lenox Hill Hospital today.

Expectations After Weight Loss Surgery

Written by jefftormey on July 15, 2024. Posted in Weight Loss Surgery. No Comments on Expectations After Weight Loss Surgery

Have you struggled with weight loss programs and are considering undergoing surgery? You must have so many concerns about the procedure and, most importantly, don’t know what to expect. This guide will take you through the most important questions when it comes to what to expect after weight loss surgery.

How much weight will you lose?

The main goal when undergoing the surgery is to lose as much weight as possible. There are various surgeries, so the result usually depends on the procedure. This explains why it is crucial to choose the right bariatric surgery. Your current weight will also determine the results. However, gastric sleeve surgery is very popular. So, when it comes down to what to expect after gastric sleeve, you will likely lose as much as 40% of your extra weight. On the other hand, you may lose up to 60% of it after a gastric bypass.

What does recovery look like?

This is a very common question because you want to know how long it will take to get back on your feet after the surgery. It will depend on the individual and the type of procedure. Take the bypass surgery, for instance, which is laparoscopic. Since the surgeon makes small incisions, it means that you will recover in a short time and maybe stay in the hospital for only 2–3 days. Therefore, 3–5 weeks should be enough for you to make a full recovery and resume your daily activities.

What are the benefits of the surgery?

In most cases, the health benefits of weight loss surgery happen in no time. If you have preexisting conditions like diabetes, you will soon see physical improvements. Your blood pressure will also stabilize, and you will see changes in conditions like sleep apnea and arthritis. There will also be excellent changes in the long run as you keep your weight in check.

What changes will you make after surgery?

In matters of what to expect after gastric bypass or gastric sleeve, there will be some changes in your lifestyle. This will be very important to help keep off the extra weight and keep you in shape. You will adjust your nutrition, switching to smaller portions of healthy meals as you avoid junk, starch, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and other high-calorie foods. Daily exercise will also be your lifestyle because you must stay active to improve your metabolism and overall health.

Heed to Professional Advice After Weight Loss Surgery

You don’t have to worry about undergoing weight loss surgery in New York. With the right team, like the professionals at Lenox Hill Hospital, you are in safe hands and are sure to make a full recovery and enjoy a successful procedure.

Coffee After Gastric Sleeve Surgery—Is It Allowed?

Written by jefftormey on June 26, 2024. Posted in Gastric Sleeve Surgery. No Comments on Coffee After Gastric Sleeve Surgery—Is It Allowed?

Coffee drinkers know that the best way to kick-start their mornings is with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. However, if you have just undergone weight loss surgery, surgeons recommend avoiding certain foods and drinks. Junk foods like popcorn are on that list, which makes you wonder, can you drink coffee after a gastric sleeve?

What Happens When You Ingest Coffee After a Gastric Sleeve?

Diet and exercise are crucial after undergoing surgery. They keep you in shape and promote healthy and speedy weight loss. Experts advise that you must completely refrain from drinking coffee or any other caffeinated or carbonated drink for the first 90 days post-surgery. You need to avoid certain foods and drinks until your body fully recovers and adjusts to the new digestive changes. So, why is coffee on the list of foods to avoid?

It Is Acidic

If you are wondering if you can drink coffee after gastric sleeve, know that it contains high amounts of acid, which is the last thing you want to consume after the surgery. After the procedure, you are more vulnerable to GERD and acid reflux, meaning coffee will easily irritate your stomach lining, causing a lot of pain.

It Causes Dehydration

Coffee is known for its diuretic effect (dehydration of the body). Patients are always advised to drink more water and stay hydrated all through the day to facilitate healing and promote a healthy gut, but drinking coffee has the opposite effect. Therefore, it is best to avoid it and switch to healthier drinks.

It Causes Poor Gut Motility

Your gut motility will be affected while you are recovering after surgery. Food doesn’t move through your digestive system as usual, and essential nutrients are not fully absorbed like they were before the surgery. You must eat highly nutritious foods to enhance the absorption rate, which is not the case with caffeinated drinks, which lack essential nutrients.

When Can I Drink Coffee After Gastric Sleeve?

Refrain from coffee for the first 90 days after surgery, and even after that, take it in moderation. Remember that every person is different, so it is best to consult with your doctor on such matters. To be safe, consider healthier drink alternatives like water, green tea, smoothies, and herbal tea (non-caffeinated).

Consult a Professional Bariatric Surgeon in New York City

It is expected that you will feel overwhelmed when it comes to your new lifestyle with dietary restrictions. To be sure, you can consult with us about all matters regarding weight loss surgery and the best foods to eat after New York City bariatric surgery at Lennox Hill Hospital.

The Causes of GERD After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Written by jefftormey on June 19, 2024. Posted in Gastric Sleeve Surgery. No Comments on The Causes of GERD After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where food from the stomach re-enters a patient’s esophagus. Conventionally, GERD should reduce after a gastric bypass, but there are cases where the procedure makes it even worse. You may experience GERD as you try to recover from gastric bypass surgery, so how are GERD and bariatric surgery connected? How can you treat it?

What Is the Relationship Between GERD and Gastric Bypass?

Are you wondering if gastric bypass and acid reflux are connected? When you undergo surgery, it alters the normal shape of the stomach, changing how food usually travels through your digestive system. It is expected that the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) will also be affected. This is the muscle ring at the end of the esophagus, which opens when food enters the stomach and closes to prevent the particles from re-entering. However, when it fails to work, food contents from the stomach find their way back to the esophagus, which causes symptoms of GERD or acid reflux after gastric bypass surgery.

How Does Bariatric Surgery Affect the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES)?

There are various ways that the LES can be tampered with during surgery. For instance, the angle where it meets the stomach may flatten, making it easier for food to travel back to the esophagus. Similarly, if there is excessive pressure in the stomach, it may exert the same pressure on the muscles, forcing them open. Lastly, acid reflux may occur because food post-surgery stays in the stomach for too long.

How to Treat Gerd After Gastric Bypass

If you are suffering from excruciating acid reflux after surgery, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. Doctors recommend PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors), which go a long way to reduce the excessive production of acid in the stomach. They may also prescribe prokinetic agents to make the LES contractions and the contractions along the tract stronger.

If you have severe GERD and medication doesn’t seem to work, then doctors will recommend surgery. They can perform RYGB or LINX surgeries or the Stretta procedure. You should see a doctor immediately when you detect acid reflux; otherwise, you risk complications like inflammation of the esophagus, peptic strictures (narrow esophagus), or esophageal cancer.

Seek Professional Help to Deal With GERD After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Are you interested in undergoing a gastric bypass in Manhattan? Or have you had one but need surgery to treat severe acid reflux? Consult with our professionals from Lennox Hill Hospital today for a safe bariatric surgery and treatment of acid reflux, GERD, and other post-gastric bypass complications.