ypassing the pounds away
ypassing the pounds away Understanding gastric bypass surgery BY CHRISTINA GAPPY Weatherman Al Roker from “The Today Show,” comedian Roseanne Barr and “The View’s” Star Jones are only a few of the famous people who have chosen life-changing gastric bypass surgery as a last resort to lose weight. A number of members from the Chaldean community have undergone the surgery as well, and many others are debating the potential dangers and benefits involved. A WEIGHTY ISSUE Obesity is a serious, chronic disease in the United States. According to the American Obesity Association, 65 percent of the population is overweight, and 30 percent is obese. Obesity-related health conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, depression and sleep apnea, and life expectancy can even be shortened. The deterioration of health, lack of employment, decrease in confidence level and even verbal abuse some obese people experience all, in some ways, are physically and psychologically disabling. Thus, many patients choose the weight loss surgery in order to live a longer and better life. Most doctors agree that people should first try alternatives to surgery such as dieting or exercising. “Patients must try the non-surgical options before deciding to have the weight loss surgery,” said Dr. Musib Gappy, an internal medicine specialist and gastroenterologist. “These procedures are not for everyone.” Dr. Mustafa Hares, a bariatric surgeon at the Center for Comprehensive Weight Loss of St. John’s Health, concurs. He said that although there is a 90 percent failure rate for these alternatives, the obesity problem should be taken care of as soon as possible to avoid future health deterioration. There are three different types of surgical procedures for weight loss. The “lap band procedure” is when a band is put around the stomach in order to create two separate pouches of an adjustable size. The “Roux-en-Y gastric bypass” creates a smaller pouch of the stomach by stapling it shut. The outlet of the smaller pouch is lead directly to the intestines. In addition to restricting how much food can be eaten, the procedure limits how much food can be absorbed by the body. Thus, average weight loss is higher through this procedure than with the lap band. Finally, the “duodenal switch,” the most complex procedure, is used on those who Hares calls “super-super morbidly obese.” In this procedure, 75 to 85 percent of the stomach is removed to form the design of a gastric tube that is connected directly to the intestines. The patient must understand the risks that accompany the surgery — bleeding, infection and, in less than 1 percent of cases, death. For many patients, scar tissue after surgery could cause a bowel blockage, which may result in other surgeries. Also after surgery, many people may need to take vitamins and minerals, such as iron and B-12, for the rest of their life. The body will need to adjust to the surgery performed on the stomach, and this requires LASER HAIR REMOVAL ALSO OFFERING: Anti Aging and Skin Rejuvenation Botox injections PhotoFacial Laser Spider Vein Removal (face & legs) Chemical Peels (superficial & medium depth) Microdermabraison Mesotherapy (body fat contouring/cellulite) Mesoboost (penile elongation) Mesochin (double chin reduction) New Acne Treatment with Levulan PhotoFacial New Treatment with Levulan Photodynamic Therapy for Skin Rejuvenation Come in for a FREE CONSULTATION and get entered into a drawing for a FREE TLC Anti-Aging & Skin Rejuvenation package. VIP card entitles you to 20% OFF ALL SERVICES Excluding injectables for 12 months. First 100 patients receive 30% DISCOUNT FREE VIP discount card $ 100 Value with this ad. Valid until 6/30/05 Supervised by Board Certified physicians who are attending staff physicians at Troy Beaumont Hospital. Located in The Tri-County Medical Center 37450 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights 48310 586-693-4TLC (4852) 28 CHALDEAN NEWS APRIL 2005
patience and time from the patient. Another setback is that the weight may be gained back after the surgery if proper care is not taken. VOICES OF EXPERIENCE “I have been almost 100 pounds overweight my whole life. It was finally the time to do something about it,” is how Marcine Karmo, 38, explains why she chose gastric bypass surgery eight years ago when she weighted more than 300 pounds. Karmo tried many different alternatives to losing weight, such as dieting, counseling, aerobics and even Weight Watchers during her early childhood. None of these made a great difference. It was at that time that Dr. Marek Lutrzykowski, then of St. Joseph’s Hospital, performed the duodenal switch surgery. Karmo had to prepare three to four months in advance of the surgery in order to lose some weight, and underwent psychological tests and cardiology evaluations to make sure she was capable of handling the surgery. Karmo’s surgery lasted eight hours, and she stayed about five days in the hospital. Afterwards, she was on a strict diet for a month, eating only soft foods such as yogurt, eggs, oatmeal and soups. It took seven weeks before Karmo could return to work. She did not face any major complications, but her stomach did need to adapt to its new structure. Karmo said she was at “a point that if I didn’t do something about it, I would either become severely sick from certain health problems or even eventually die.” She said her confidence level has “boosted 100 percent” since the surgery, which helped her shed more than 180 pounds. Not all surgeries go as smoothly as Karmo’s. Her brother, Tim, also chose duodenal switch surgery. His highest weight reached 840 pounds. Because of this, he was told that he might not GASTRIC BYPASS continued on page 30 Tim and Marcine Karmo, before and after Asker, Clos & Perlmuter, P.C. Business & Real Estate Law Experts COMPLETE LANDSCAPE DESIGN... INSTALLATION... MAINTENANCE... • New Homes • Gas Stations • Shopping Centers • Hotels • Office Buildings • Oakland-Macomb-Wayne County PAUL P. ASKER Business Formation Construction Liens Business Sales Sales Rep Contracts Real Estate Law Commission Disputes Contracts Litigation Construction Law Estate Planning www.LawyersMichigan.com 1175 W. Long Lake Road, Suite 201 Troy, MI 48098 248.641.2988 TONY KONJA FULL SERVICE COMPANY… • Lawn Maintenance • Sprinklers • Fertilizing • Flower Design • Waterfalls • Parking Lot Sweeping • Snow Plowing Village Park Offices • 31800 Northwestern Highway, Suite 140 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Phone: 248-855-8575 • Fax: 248-855-6985 APRIL 2005 CHALDEAN NEWS 29
