After Bariatric Surgery - Survey Shows Importance of Aftercare

What you do after bariatric surgery may be just as important as the surgery itself.

We have written about this before, but a new survey underscores the importance of proper follow-care after a bariatric weight-loss procedure.

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive, a research company, on behalf of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The group surveyed 208 patients who underwent gastric bypass and 201 who had some kind of gastric banding surgery.

The results should noted by anyone who is planning to have a bariatric procedure. The patients who followed the doctors guidelines after bariatric surgery lost 35 percent more weight during the first year following their procedure. They also tended to keep the weight off after a period of several years.

What does this mean? Well, according to this one particular survey, you will likely loose more weight after your bariatric procedure if you closely follow your surgeon’s advice. This includes follow-visits, your diet after surgery, proper exercise, etc.

Regular exercise and improved eating habits are two of the most important changes bariatric patients have to make after their weight-loss surgery procedures. These are also two of the areas surgeons say their patients struggle with. A lack of exercise and bad eating habits are typically what lead to the weight problems in the first place, so it can be difficult for some patients to change these habits — but it’s critical that they do.

One of the recommendations mentioned in the press release associated with this survey is to standardize the type of care given to patients after bariatric surgery. According to Alan Wittgrove, a former president of the aforementioned ASMBS: “[Patient] follow-up care tends to vary from bariatric program to bariatric program … there is a need to standardize follow-up care so patients achieve the best outcomes.” Sound like a good idea to me.

Related article: Life After Weight Loss Surgery

Toga Procedure for Weight Loss Surgery - Update

We have been looking into a new, somewhat experimental form of weight loss surgery known as the Toga procedure. We first heard about it just a few days ago, through an article that appeared on NBC News affiliate websites across the country.

According to that article, doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California are performing the so-called Toga procedure as a form of non-invasive weight loss surgery. The goal of this procedure is similar to other bariatric — to staple off part of the stomach, thus creating a small “pouch.” This reduces the patients appetite and stomach capacity, which in turn leads to weight loss.

But the big difference with the Toga procedure is the entry point. Instead of making an incision in the abdomen, the surgeon goes in through the mouth. No incisions necessary. A flexible surgical tool is passed through the mouth and down into the stomach. Doctors use the tool to staple part of the stomach, creating the small pouch.

I would like to stress that the Toga procedure still appears to be in the experimental stage (at the time of this update), so there’s not a lot of information out there about it. After reading the news story, our research led us to the Cedars-Sinai website. There, we found some information about this clinical study. We wrote up a summary of our own, based on publicly available information, and have added it to the articles section of the website.

Learn more here: TOGA Procedure Weight Loss Surgery