Today obesity is probably the leading health problem in the Western world and in the United States alone some 60 percent of the population is overweight, with nearly 24 percent being obese and 3 percent extremely obese. Now 3 percent may not seem like a high figure but when you consider that it equates to more than 9 million extremely obese people that is a fairly big problem.
In spite of the fact that more and more attention is being focused on the problem of obesity and its cure, it is surprising just how much we are still learning about the condition, including the affects of alcohol on individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery.
For some time now there has been a fair amount of anecdotal evidence that individuals who have had obesity surgery are affected more by alcohol than others but it was not until the end of last year that any real attempt was made to look at the extent of the problem.
In a reasonably small-scale study the affects of alcohol on 19 individuals who had obesity surgery was compared to the affects on 17 control subjects. The people taking part in the study each drank a small 5 ounce glass of red wine and their breath alcohol was then analyzed until it fell back to zero.
The study discovered that alcohol levels peaked at a higher level in the obesity patients and also took much longer to fall back to zero. However, most interestingly, the study also found that just }a single|one} small glass of wine was enough to push the breath alcohol level in a significant number of obesity surgery patients above the legal alcohol level for driving in several US states.
The explanation for the added affects of alcohol on obesity surgery patients is quite simple to understand because surgery reduces the size of the stomach and bypasses a section of the intestine, both areas of the body that play a significant role in breaking down alcohol before it finds its way into the bloodstream.
So precisely what does this mean for obesity surgery patients?
Well, aside from the obvious need to be careful and certainly to avoid driving after drinking even very small amounts of alcohol, the implications for obesity surgery patients do in fact go a little wider.
A particular problem is that alcohol acts as a relaxant and this can result in difficulties when it comes to post-surgical weight loss and to the maintenance of weight loss. As alcohol relaxes the stomach, which includes the lower esophageal sphincter, together with the intestine, patients who enjoy a drink can eat more and alcohol effectively counters the affects of surgery. As if this were not bad enough many individuals are more active socially following surgery and this generally means an increasing intake of alcohol.
There still needs to be a great deal more research carried out but, at the end of the day, the simple fact is that individuals who have weight loss surgery need to be aware of the risks of alcohol and act accordingly.
Weight Loss Sleeve Surgery
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive method of weight loss surgery in which approximately 85% of the stomach is surgically removed leaving a cylindrical or sleeve shaped stomach with a substantially reduced capacity ranging from about 60 to 150 cc. Unlike the majority of other types of obesity surgery, the outlet valve and the nerves to the stomach remain in place and, though the stomach is considerably reduced in size, its function is unaltered. Further, unlike other types of weight loss surgery such as the time honored Roux-en-Y gastric bypass the vertical sleeve gastrectomy cannot be reversed.
Because the newly fashioned stomach continues to function as normal there are many fewer restrictions when it comes to the foods that patients can eat following surgery, even though the quantity of food consumed will be very much reduced. Many patients view this as one of the main advantages of the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, as is the fact that the removal of the majority of the stomach also causes the effective elimination of the hormones that are produced within the stomach and that stimulate hunger.
probably the biggest advantage of the vertical gastrectomy is to be found in the fact that it does not bypass the intestines and patients do not therefore experience the complications of intestinal bypass such as osteoporosis, anemia, intestinal obstruction and protein deficiency. It also means that it is a suitable type of surgery for individuals who are already suffering from anemia, Crohn's disease and a variety of other conditions that would put them at risk for intestinal bypass surgery.
Lastly, it is one of the few types of weight loss surgery that can be performed laparoscopically in people who are extremely overweight.
Possibly the chief disadvantage of the sleeve gastrectomy lies in the fact that it does not always create the weight loss that individuals would wish for and may result in weight regain in the longer term. This is indeed the case with any type of solely restrictive weight loss surgery though it is perhaps especially true of the vertical gastrectomy.
Because the operation requires the stomach to be stapled individuals do run the risk from leaks and of other complications that are directly related to stapling. Furthermore, as with any operation, individuals run the risk of additional complications such as small bowel obstruction, post-surgical bleeding, pneumonia and even death. The risk of running into any of these complications is luckily extremely small and is in the region of about 0.5 and 1%. Having said this, the chance of dying as a result of this type of surgery at around 0 .25% is very small indeed.
Generally speaking the sleeve gastrectomy is most suited to people who are either especially overweight or whose health rules out other types of weight loss surgery. In the case of the first category the sleeve gastrectomy would usually form the first of a two-part plan of weight loss, with further bariatric surgery being undertaken once the person's weight has dropped enough to allow other types of surgery to be carried out.
Both Donald Saunders & Don Saunders are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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