Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy With Duodenal Switch

Often referred to as simply a ‘duodenal switch’ procedure, this particular form of bariatric surgery is in fact a vertical sleeve gastrectomy to which a duodenal switch is added. This procedure is also sometimes referred to as a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.

Of all of the different forms of weight loss surgery available today this is perhaps the most controversial and, though widely performed, there are many surgeons who will not carry out the procedure because of concerns about its long-term effects on a patient’s health.

The first part of the procedure is a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in which the stomach is divided vertically and approximately eighty-five percent is removed. The small remaining ‘sleeve shaped’ stomach, which retains the original outlet to the intestines, functions very much as a normal stomach and this part of the surgery is designed purely to restrict the quantity of food which can be consumed. This part of the operation is a form of ‘restrictive’ surgery and cannot be reversed.

The second phase of the operation is to create a duodenal switch and this is a form of ‘malabsorption’ surgery which is largely reversible. Whereas restrictive surgery creates weight loss by physically preventing the patient from eating too much food, malabsorption surgery is designed to restrict the body’s ability to absorb calories from a meal as it passes through the digestive tract.

During the procedure the intestine is divided and a small section (usually about 150 cm in length) is used to create a bypass from the duodenum, which is close to the stomach outlet, to a point near the end of the intestinal tract, thus bypassing the bulk of the digestive tract (typically about 500 cm will be bypassed). The result of this bypass (or duodenal switch) is that food passing through the intestine will only mix with the body’s digestive juices in the short final section of the intestine below the switch, giving the digestive juices very little time to digest the food and absorb calories from it into the body.

While duodenal switch weight loss surgery has the advantage of providing the patient with weight loss through both restriction and malabsorption, it is the degree to which the malabsorption element predominates in the duodenal switch which gives rise to much of the controversy surrounding this form of surgery. By comparison, the traditional Roux-en-Y operation has a much shorter bypass and the distance over which food mixes with the digestive juices in the intestine is in the region of five times greater.

The argument which many surgeons use against the duodenal switch is simply that so little absorption takes place that there is too great a risk of anemia, protein deficiency and metabolic bone disease. The vertical sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch is also arguably the most complex form of weight loss surgery and many believe that it carries an unacceptably high risk of complications.

Despite the risks however, the duodenal switch remains a surgical option and can be very effective, especially in patients with a very high body mass index (BMI).

How does liposuction works?

There is a plastic surgery called liposuction that provides remarkable results in contouring and sculpting your body. It requires a cosmetic surgeon who will literally change the shape of your abdomen, thighs, hips, and mid section with the procedure. It isn’t a weight loss surgery per se, although you can lose up to about 10 pounds of fat. This fat accumulates in hard to lose parts of the body in the aforementioned areas. As we get older these fat deposits start accumulating. Diet and exercise will work in reducing weight in the rest of our body, but rarely do they work on these “hard to lose” areas. This is a natural process of aging that affects numerous people.

That is one reason why liposuction in Houston is so popular. It is one of the most utilized cosmetic procedures around the world today. The procedure is beneficial on so many levels. For one thing, fat deposits in those areas are unhealthy, especially around the mid section. They can cause all kinds of serious health issues from diabetes to cardiac disease. So getting rid of that fat is essential to prolonged good health. Another reason is that we are striving in greater numbers, with greater efforts, to live a healthy lifestyle and stay fit and trims. Having fat in parts of our body that is unappealing, and that stubbornly resists conventional weight loss methods, defeats the purpose. With lipo, your doctor can rid your figure of that fat and give you the shape that you desire.

In the course of the liposuction procedure, you might be treated with either a general or local anesthetic. The particular type of lipo method preferred by your plastic surgeon determines this. The doctor will make a tiny incision in the skin of the target area and insert a thin tube called a cannula under the skin. Fat is broken up and suctioned out by means of this tube, which functions just like a vacuum. Liposuction works extremely well on many places around your body where “hard to lose” fat accumulates, including the stomach, hips, thighs, back, arms, and neck.

It takes about 45 minutes to complete a section. Recovery time will depend on the complexity of the procedure. It could be as fast as a day, or as long as two weeks. There is typically little discomfort involved, and most people return to their routine activities very quickly, if not immediately. Liposuction is a permanent solution. Once you have the fat removed it does not come back.

A Houston liposuction surgeon will be happy to consult with you about your liposuction needs. He or she will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure, and if you will derive benefit from it, or perhaps another type of cosmetic surgery. They will need a medical history and will need to assess your current state of health.

A Quick Look at Some of Today’s Most Effective Diets

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

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The Idiot-Proof Diet

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

The ‘calorie shifting’ model takes place because you eat every two and half hours. The theory is that because your body is consuming calories (energy) constantly throughout the day, it’s always in ‘burning calories’ mode instead of the ‘saving calories’ mode.

When you sign up for the diet, you get access to a diet handbook, an 11-day diet-plan and a diet calculator. You get to pick what foods you like to eat so don’t think that you’ll be tarving in this diet!

NutriSystem

The NutriSystem way of dieting is all about proper meal planning. People love this diet because it takes away the burden of trying to figure out what to eat during their dieting phase. You see, a lot of people actually get confused as to what they can eat when they want to lose weight. That’s not really surprising because there’s so much information out there and for every yay sayer, there is a nay sayer so it’s really tough to know what to eat.

However, with NurtiSystem, they do all the meal planning and portion controlling for you. You just need to sign up to any of their diet programs (e.g., Women’s Program, Men’s Program, Vegetarian Program, etc.) and order a multi-day (usually for 28 days) diet program.

After you choose your diet program, a menu is presented to you and you simply choose what you want to eat. The meals are then delivered to your doorstep at various intervals during your diet program.

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is popular because the name alone conjures bikini-clad bodies! Add to that the fact that it was founded by a cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, then you have a sort of ‘doctor recommended, doctor approved’ seal on the diet as well.

At first glance, the South Beach Diet looks a lot like the Atkins Diet in the sense that it restricts carbohydrates during the initial phase of the program (there are 3 phases). The first phase (14 days) encourages ‘normal eating’ in the sense that you can pretty much eat whatever you want but you must NOT eat bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. Fruit is also not allowed. No sugar. No alcohol.

The second phase allows you to SLOWLY introduce these items back into your diet but at lesser levels that you consumed them before of course. The third phase is more about general maintenance.

Weight Watchers

Probably one of the longest running diet programs out there is Weight Watchers. It believes in the overall approach where food, exercise, behavior and support are addressed.

Weight Watchers is known for advocating a point system for foods. Using this system, one calculates the calorie intake of the foods he or she eats. The number of points you can have in a day varies depending on your weight. The beauty of the program is that there are no gut-wrenching food restrictions so you never feel deprived of anything. However, the point system teaches you how to balance your meals so that even if you indulge on one food item, you don’t go overboard and consume too much in a day.