I’m pleased to announce the creation of a new section of the Bariatric Learning Center. Bariatric City will be a guide to weight loss surgery in cities across the United States. For example, here’s the city page we just completed for Dallas bariatric surgery information.

The purpose of this new site is two-fold:

First, we want to offer information about bariatric surgery that is specific to people who live in a particular city and state. In other words, these city pages are designed to be “the place to go” for weight loss surgery information in a particular city.

Secondly, we plan to use Bariatric City as sort of an online “matchmaker” between people considering bariatric surgery and the surgeons in the same city who specialize in bariatrics. In fact, we invite bariatric surgeons to sponsor their city’s page as a way of connecting with people in their community.

If you have any questions about Bariatric City, please feel free to contact us.

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What are bariatric vitamins and do you need to take them after bariatric surgery?

To answer the first question, bariatric vitamins are those vitamins that many doctors and nutritionists recommend for post-surgery patients who have undergone a weight loss surgical procedure.

To answer the second question, depending on the type of surgery you have had, you may need to supplement your diet with certain vitamins that your body cannot absorb as readily (as it did before surgery). Certain types of bariatric surgery can lead to malabsorption problems, which partly means that you may not be getting the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet.

Learn more: We have recently posted a new article that discusses bariatric vitamins in more detail.

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Can you imagine the concept of free weight loss surgery for the people who need it the most, the morbidly obese? If you are reading this from somewhere in the United States, this is probably a foreign concept that you cannot grasp.

And that’s exactly my point … it is a foreign concept. Many other countries who put people over profit have begun to offer free weight loss surgeries to people in desperate need of such surgery. People who would probably die without such drastic measures.

You see, in many countries outside of the U.S., there is a concept known as the “common good.” The concept is a simple one, and it is based entirely on the principles of humanity. It simply states that “we, as a country, must take care of our fellow citizens.” That’s why in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and many European countries you have things like universal health care coverage.

And in many cases, you also have free weight loss surgery for those in desperate need. Australia was in the news recently for proposing this very thing.

Will this kind of thing ever become the norm in the U.S.? Don’t hold your breath. You see, we are much more profit-minded a nation than those I’ve mentioned previously. And nowhere is the hunger for massive profits more evident than within our nation’s health care and pharmaceutical complex. Health care is big business in the United States — huge business. And many doctors are becoming extremely wealthy as a result of the booming popularity of weight loss surgery in recent years.

So you can probably expect to find free surgery for weight loss in the U.S. about the same time pigs begin to take to the skies in graceful flight. In other words, you still have the same two options for weight loss surgery in this country — start saving your cash, or find an alternative to the surgery.

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Breakthrough Organization Will Benefit Post-Bariatric Patients

Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) December 4, 2007 — A group of distinguished plastic surgeons has launched a powerful new resource for individuals who have experienced dramatic weight loss due to bariatric surgery or intensive dieting. Named the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons (ASBPS), the organization’s primary focus is providing referrals to top-flight plastic surgeons who specialize in treating specific post-bariatric problems. By giving individuals easy access to an extensive database of first-rate specialists, the ASBPS offers a reliable means for significantly reducing the stress, doubt, and hassle of finding the appropriate healthcare professional.

What distinguishes the ASBPS is that all of its member surgeons are specialists in body contouring. These procedures are a viable remedy for the large areas of sagging skin that often result from massive weight loss. More than just a cosmetic step, body contouring provides a solution for a number of problems that can occur following bariatric surgery. “Removing excess skin is not only necessary to achieve optimal body shape, but it’s also helpful in improving overall health and quality-of-life,” said Peter Rubin MD, chair, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Post Bariatric Task Force. Sagging skin can inhibit movement, lead to infections, and have a sizeable psychological impact.

A Secure and Safe Solution

Founded by plastic surgeon, Dr. Edward Domanskis, the ASBPS offers patients the security of having easy access to the most advanced post-bariatric care possible. To qualify for membership in this unique organization, surgeons must be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In addition, most members belong to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, as well as the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery or the Canadian Society for Plastic Surgeons.

“The ASBPS is a complete information resource,” Dr. Domanskis points out. “Our hope is to provide individuals with the best chance of receiving high level care, as well as reinforce the fact that body and facial contouring is a very effective solution.”

Perfect Timing

According to Dr. Domanskis, the timing couldn’t be better for the ASBPS. Statistics clearly demonstrate a steep rise in worldwide obesity levels, as well as the number of individuals opting for body and facial contouring following massive weight loss. “Because of advances in medical techniques and safety,” says Dr. Domanskis, “the number of individuals choosing body contouring treatments has shot up in the last twenty years.” In 2006 alone, nearly 66,000 contouring procedures were performed, up 18% since 2004. Following this trend, the number of treatments will steadily increase over the next decade. Clearly, the ASBPS will prove an invaluable resource to the growing numbers choosing this procedure.

Press release source

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Related articles:

• Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss Surgery
• After Bariatric Surgery - What to Expect

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What is a bariatric bypass and how exactly does this type of surgery work?

This question is on the minds of many obese individuals these days, especially as bariatric bypass surgeries become more popular as a treatment option (and more frequently covered by the media).

If you ask a surgeon who specializes in bypass surgery about this type of bariatric procedure, he or she will likely tell you that it’s one of the best forms of bariatric surgery available. But he or she would be biased, don’t you think? After all, if a surgeon performs bariatric bypass surgery for a living, you can hardly expect that surgeon to give you the full story about such surgeries.

In truth, however, the bariatric bypass (a.k.a. gastric bypass surgery) is currently being overshadowed by newer and less invasive forms of weight loss surgery. When you combine this with the new studies about the long-term ill effects of bypass surgery, it seems that the writing is one the wall. Personally, I predict that the bariatric bypass will be practically obsolete within the next ten years … maybe less.

In its place, there will be a wider variety of less-invasive bariatric surgery procedures, such as the LAP-BAND System (by Allergan, Inc.) and the Realize Adjustable Gastric Band (by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. and Johnson and Johnson). These adjustable gastric bands — and the future versions that we will see — work by reducing the usable size of the patient’s stomach, but they do it in a much less invasive way than a bariatric bypass procedure.

Consider the difference:

With the banding types of bariatric surgery, an adjustable band is inserted around the upper portion of the stomach by way of small incisions (smaller than the incisions associated with a bariatric bypass surgery). Thus, these banding procedures are considered laparoscopic weight loss surgery — or “minimally invasive” surgery.

With gastric banding, the weight loss is achieved by limiting the amount of usable space in the stomach, thereby limiting the patient’s capacity for food. The bands are also adjustable and removable, which gives the patient options going forward.

Bariatric bypass surgery achieves a similar result, but it almost appears barbaric by comparison. With this approach, the upper portion of the stomach is also “partitioned,” as with the banding procedures. But it is not done in a minimally invasive way. On top of that, most bypass surgeries will actually reroute the small intestines to connect with the new smaller pouch of the stomach (hence the term bariatric bypass surgery).

This degree of severity is the reason why bypass surgeries are usually reserved for people who are morbidly obese.

Bariatric Surgery Complications

This is not to say that gastric banding procedures are perfect. In truth, there are certain risks and complications with all types of bariatric surgery. For example, Lap Band slippage can be a problem with some patients.

My point is simply this. When you compare these types of surgeries, it is easy to see why young surgeons just starting out in the world of bariatrics often choose the newer banding surgeries as their specialty (as opposed to the bariatric bypass surgeries). From a career standpoint, it seems to make sense. The newer, less invasive procedures will simply be around longer.

I hope this article helps you obtain a well-rounded understanding of bariatric bypass and the many other forms of weight loss surgery.

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