Weight
Obesity is a veritable epidemic in the United States, afflicting one out of three Americans -- or roughly 58 million. The numbers are staggering worldwide, with more than 300 million adults being obese. Obesity leads to poor health, heart disease, stroke and a bevy of other maladies. If you are obese, gastric bypass surgery is extremely effective, but only for those who are healthy enough and committed to losing a large amount of weight.
Before Treatment
Before you consider having gastric bypass surgery done, you must consult with a physician to ensure that you are healthy enough to undergo the surgery. The condition of your heart is examined, and you are tested for sleep apnea in a sleep lab. Sometimes a physician will require an obese patient to lost five to 10 pounds before the surgery and have you meet with a nutritionist who will outline a meal plan that you will have to strictly adhere to after the surgery. Gastric bypass is a major surgery, so expect to put some effort into preparing for the surgery.
During Treatment
You will need to meet with your surgeon shortly before surgery. Now is the time to ask any last-minute questions you may have. You will receive general anaesthesia when you enter the operation room and prepare for the surgery. Gastric bypass is most often done laproscopically, which means that a few small incisions are made in your stomach and small cameras are used to staple your old stomach to make it smaller. When you awake, you'll be in the recovery room and be allowed to eat ice chips. You'll need to get up and walk around as soon as you are able.
After Treatment
After you've recovered from your gastric bypass surgery, you'll need to commit to a new diet and exercise plan to make sure that the gastric bypass surgery is fully effective. This means daily exercise of some sort. For the first few weeks, you may only be able to take walks, but as you heal and become stronger, you may try some other sports or going to the gym. Remember that gastric bypass is not a magical cure-all for obesity. It is effective because it limits your food intake, but you also need to change your lifestyle by eating healthier and staying active.
