Category: Gastric Bypass

Patients can put their trust in our bariatric surgeons, who are among the leading weight loss surgery specialists based in Tijuana. Their reputation for safety and effective bariatric care has attracted countless patients from across the border to his state-of-the-art practice.

When performing bariatric surgery to fight morbid obesity, we strive to ensure full patient satisfaction. Sometimes a corrective procedure is necessary, however. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to look at revision of the gastric bypass and what this may entail.

About Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight loss procedure that restricts the amount of calories that a person can consume and also limits the calories absorbed into the system during digestion. Also known as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the procedure involves the division of the stomach into an upper pouch and lower pouch, with part of the small intestine rerouted to connect the two pouches.

Gastric bypass surgery is one of the most popular and well-known forms of weight loss surgery available today.

What Is a Revision Bariatric Procedure?

A revision bariatric surgery procedure refers to a corrective surgery that is performed in order to address complications from the initial surgery or to improve the rate/nature of the weight loss loss a patient experiences.

Typically these revision procedures are quite rare since surgeons take great care in ensuring the initial procedure is performed successfully.

Reasons for Revision of a Gastric Bypass

There are a few common reasons why a patient may need a revision of their gastric bypass:

• Patients Do Not Lose Enough Weight – Sometimes a patient will lose some weight after their gastric bypass, but they will not lose enough weight. In such cases, a revision will help in the further battle against obesity and morbid obesity.

• Patients Regain the Weight They’ve Lost – In some cases, a patient will experience rapid weight loss in the first few months only to gain that weight back in the future. The revision procedure will help keep the weight off in the long run.

• Complications Following Surgery – If a patient experiences some serious medical issues after they have undergone a gastric bypass, it can be remedied through a revision procedure.

Options for Correcting a Gastric Bypass

There are a few options for revising a gastric bypass procedure so that it is safer and/or more effective.

• Adjusting the Pouch and Stoma – In order to improve weight loss, surgeons may decide to shrink the pouch or stoma through various means.

• Adding a Gastric Band – In some cases, turning the gastric bypass surgery into a combined bypass and banding procedure helps. This means placing an adjustable silicone band around the stomach to reduce its size.

• Conversion of Gastric Bypass Into a Duodenal Switch – This form of revision will change the gastric bypass surgery into a different weight loss procedure. The duodenal switch works on similar principles as the gastric bypass, but there is just one stomach pouch rather than two separate pouches.

We can discuss these various options with you in greater detail during your consultation at the practice.

Contact Tijuana Bariatrics

For more information about gastric bypass surgery and your many other options for safe surgical weight loss, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today. The entire team here will provide you with all the information you need to achieve optimal health and ideal results.

Gastric bypass surgery is a bariatric procedure designed to alter the digestive system and help those who struggle with weight loss achieve their health and fitness goals. Steps taken during gastric bypass surgery recovery can help ensure successful results while also reducing the risks of complications. One of the most important things you can do during your recovery after gastric bypass surgery is follow a proper diet plan. To learn more about the gastric bypass surgery diet, schedule a consultation with Tijuana, BC surgeons.

The Importance of Following a Diet Plan after Gastric Bypass Surgery

After gastric bypass surgery, it is important for patients to follow a diet plan as prescribed by their doctor or registered dietitian. Following a gastric bypass diet can help ensure safe weight loss and better results. The gastric bypass diet also allows the stomach to heal by preventing overstretching of the stomach and helping patients become accustomed to eating smaller portions to accommodate a smaller stomach. Closely following the gastric bypass diet after surgery can also help reduce the risk of complications and encourage a healthy recovery.

The Gastric Bypass Surgery Diet

Patients will be given detailed instructions on what to eat after gastric bypass surgery to ensure the success of treatment. In general, patients should keep meals small (about half a cup to a cup of food), eat slowly, and choose foods high in protein and low in fat and sugar. Each diet will vary based on patient needs, but a typical gastric bypass diet plan will look like this:

• Liquids for the first few days: After gastric bypass surgery, the stomach will need time to heal and should not be overstressed by eating solid foods or large amounts. A liquid diet consisting of only clear liquids will need to be followed during the initial recovery stage. Once clear liquids are tolerated, other liquids may be added to the diet. Liquids may include broth, decaffeinated and unsweetened tea and coffee, unsweetened juice, skim or 1 percent milk, and sugar-free gelatin. It’s also important to drink slowly and limit liquids to 2 to 3 ounces at a time.
• Pureed foods after a few days: Once liquids have been well tolerated for a few days, and upon surgeon approval, pureed foods may be introduced into the diet. Foods should have the consistency of a thick liquid or smooth paste and may be blended with liquids like water, broth, skim milk, or unsweetened juice. Pureed foods should be unprocessed and may include beans, fish, lean ground meats, eggs, cooked vegetables, and soft fruits. Patients should also wait 30 minutes after eating before drinking anything to prevent overstretching the stomach.
• Soft foods after a few weeks: After a few weeks of eating pureed foods, and upon doctor approval, soft foods may be eaten. Foods should be kept in small, easily chewable pieces and may include finely ground or tender, diced meats, cooked vegetables without skin or seeds, and canned or soft fruit without skin or seeds.
• Solids after eight weeks: Most patients are recovered enough to eat solids about eight weeks after surgery. Although solid foods may be eaten, all food should be diced or cut small and thoroughly chewed. Portions should still be small and should continue to include high protein, low fat, and low sugar. Patients should avoid certain foods, such as nuts and seeds, dried fruits, fried foods, breads, tough meat, and carbonated beverages, until doctor approval is received.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

In most cases, the stomach will be fully recovered about three to four months after surgery. Once recovered, patients may begin to eat a normal healthy diet. Maintaining a healthy, low fat diet is essential to losing weight and keeping weight off after gastric bypass surgery. Limiting sugars and carbohydrates, like breads, pastas, and starchy vegetables, while eating a balanced diet of lean meats, leafy vegetables, and fresh fruit can help ensure weight loss success and improved health.

Is Gastric Bypass Right for You?

Gastric bypass surgery is highly effective at helping those who suffer from obesity shed unwanted weight and live a healthier lifestyle. If you’ve struggled with weight loss and are ready to reclaim your life, gastric bypass may be right for you. To find out more about gastric bypass, or other weight loss procedures, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with our doctors.

Here at Tijuana Bariatrics, we are pleased to offer gastric bypass surgery and other methods of surgical weight loss. Gastric bypass surgery is a combined restrictive and malabsorptive form of weight loss surgery. By that we mean the procedure reduces the amount of calories consumed in a single sitting as well as the calories absorbed during digestion. This is achieved by sectioning the stomach and re-routing part of the small intestine.

Gastric bypass surgery is one of the most well-known and popular options for surgical weight loss, which is why many patients seek out the gastric bypass specifically. Yet there are a number of considerations for candidacy. Let’s take a moment to consider who is a candidate for this bariatric procedure.

General Candidacy for Gastric Bypass Surgery

In general, ideal candidates for gastric bypass surgery are people who are obese or morbidly obese who need to lose weight safely and rapidly in order to avoid major health problems related to obesity. They should be in good overall health and not suffer from any medical conditions that would make the procedure unnecessarily risky.

Considering Body Mass Index (BMI)

A person’s BMI is important to consider when it comes to any sort of weight loss surgery. In general, gastric bypass surgery is a good idea when a person has a body mass of 40 or greater. When patients have a BMI of 35 to 39.9, gastric bypass surgery may be recommended if there are additional health matters that put their lives at risk (more on that in a bit).

Difficulty Losing Weight by Natural Means

In addition to having a high BMI, patients are good candidates for gastric bypass surgery when they have struggled with losing weight by natural means for a year. This means that they are unable to lose a considerable amount of weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone.

Obesity-Related Health Problems

The presence of obesity-related health conditions can also make a person a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery. By this we mean problems with diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea, as well as increased risk of developing heart disease, cancer, joint problems, and so forth. Surgical weight loss can be key to avoiding all of these problems.

Realistic Expectations About Surgery and Lifestyle Changes

Above all, it’s important that prospective gastric bypass patients have realistic expectations about the nature of the surgery, the recovery process, and what it involves. Major lifestyle and dietary changes are necessary after a gastric bypass in order to ensure the weight loss lasts, including increased activity level and restrictions on certain foods and beverages in one’s diet.

These can all be discussed in greater detail during the consultation process. In addition, we can go over alternative weight loss surgery procedures, such as gastric banding or sleeve gastrectomy, both of which involve different means of promoting weight loss.

Learn More About Weight Loss Surgery

If you would like more information about bariatric surgery and how it can help you look your absolute best, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery experts today. The team at Tijuana Bariatrics will be here to provide you with ample information about your surgery options.

Here at Tijuana Bariatrics, we always take time to discuss the health and wellness goals of patients. This means focusing on short-term issues like gastric bypass surgery recovery as well as long-term goals such as lasting weight loss.

Part of this discussion inevitably veers toward post-op complications and the warning signs of serious problems. Let’s cover some common risks associated with gastric bypass surgery, and discuss some options to prevent and address complications if they arise.

Post-Surgical Infection

Infections are a potential risk following any sort of surgery. Thankfully modern technology and surgical techniques greatly reduce the risk of infection. Patients are given ample pre-op and post-op instructions in order to manage side effects and prevent complications such as infection from occurring.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

DVT refers to dangerous blood clots that form in the legs as a result of inertness. These blood clots can severely affect overall circulation, and can potentially wind up in the lungs causing serious medical issues. After surgery, patients are encouraged to walk around their home lightly to promote circulation and prevent DVT.

Leaks of the Gastrointestinal System

Given the revisions made to the digestive tract, there is a chance that gastric fluid from the stomach may leak into the body. This can be extremely dangerous, affecting organs adjacent to the stomach and intestines. This can lead to major internal harm and possibly death if not addressed right away.

Bowel Obstructions

After gastric bypass surgery, some patients may experience severe issues with bowel obstructions. These often occur in the first four years after surgery. This may be the result of surgical scar tissue, adhesions between different organs, or tangles in the intestinal tract.

Gallstones

A number of people who lose weight rapidly develop gallstones and other issues with their gallbladder. It’s quite common among bariatric surgery patients. Thankfully these matters can be dealt with through a routine gallbladder removal surgery.

Appendicitis or a Burst Appendix

Given the revision to the intestinal tract, it is possible for a person to experience appendicitis after gastric bypass surgery. Removal of the inflamed appendix is crucial for avoiding serious medical issues.

Lack of Weight Loss

Some patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery do not lose an ideal amount of weight after their procedure is performed. When this occurs, a revision surgery is typically recommended. This secondary procedure helps promote the loss of more weight.

Gaining the Weight Back

Gaining back some of the weight you’ve lost is common a few years after surgery. If a person regains a significant amount of weight after bariatric surgery, a secondary procedure is recommended to help the patient lose some of most of the weight that they have regained.

Excessive Weight Loss

In very rare instances, a person may lose too much weight. This could become a major threat to general wellness and overall well-being. A revision surgery can help increase caloric consumption and absorption, preventing dire medical issues in the process.

Malnutrition/Nutritional Deficiencies

Dietary changes after gastric bypass surgery can take some time to get used to. As a result, some weight loss surgery patients experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Taking multivitamins and adjusting your diet to meet your daily nutritional needs is the best option to consider for these complications.

Contact Tijuana Bariatrics

To learn more about gastric bypass surgery and how it can help you look your best and feel your best, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery specialists today. The team at Tijuana Bariatrics will work wit you to improve overall health and wellness and to prevent complications and adverse side effects as you recover.

The team here at Tijuana Bariatrics offers support for patients before surgery, during the surgical process, and in the post-op recovery phase. We feel that being there for patients is the best way to ensure the best results with regard to long-term weight loss and general wellness.

Before a patient undergoes a gastric bypass, for instance, we offer deatailed information on gastric bypass surgery recovery. We want to focus on one facet of the recovery phase today: the side effects of gastric bypass surgery.

Side Effects vs. Complications: There is a Difference

Before discussing the side effects of gastric bypass surgery, let’s first point out that side effects are different from complications.

Side effects are a body’s normal response to surgery and the changes that result from surgery. These are to be expected and, in many cases, are not severe and are only temporary issues.

Complications, on the other hand, refer to serious problems that are not common after surgery is performed. If something troublesome happens during recovery, it’s important that it be addressed as soon as possible to avoid injury and other issues.

Pain and Discomfort

Pain and discomfort are to be expected following any sort of surgery. Gastric bypass and other bariatric procedures are no exception. Be sure to rest well after your surgery and to take any recommended pain relievers as directed. The pain should be less of an issue after the first week or so.

Bruising and Swelling

After undergoing surgery, it’s common for patients to notice bruising and swelling around the incision sites. Thankfully both of these issues are temporary and relatively minor. Bruising typically lasts about two weeks, with discoloration fading gradually day by day after the first week. Swelling is common for the first weeks after surgery, with major swelling reduced by the end of the first month.

Using ice packs and cold compresses as directed can help ease swelling. Patients should also walk a little as they recover to improve blood circulation, which can help address various side effects and prevent serious blood clots and other complications.

Short-Term Hair Loss

After surgery, your body will often react to the procedure by triggering the loss of hair. This is the result of hormonal changes, dietary changes, and the overall shock to the system from the procedure. The hair thinning and hair loss is just temporary, and it should resolve itself after a few months.

Gallstones

Gallstones are common when a person loses a lot of weight in a short amount of time. In fact, it’s estimated that roughly half of bariatric surgery patients will develop gallstones after their surgery. The gallstones are typically harmless, and they can be dealt with easily should they occur. It’s estimated that between 15% to 25% of people who undergo bariatric surgery will eventually require gallbladder removal.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

A change in your eating habits and your diet will result in some vitamin and mineral deficiencies. These matters are thankfully temporary. As you adjust to your new diet, it’s important to consider your body’s needs. A dietician and your general practitioner can recommend daily vitamins as well as foods that can help you reach your daily nutritional needs.

Learn More About Gastric Bypass Surgery

For more information about gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgery options that can improve your overall wellness, be sure to contact our team of weight loss surgery specialists today. The team at Tijuana Bariatrics is here to help you lose weight and get a grip on your future health.

When most people complain about excess weight, they are concerned about the way that it affects their physical appearance. However, obese individuals realize that being severely overweight can have much more serious consequences. When a person is obese, they are at an increased risk for a number of dangerous medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Additionally, being obese can interfere with physical capabilities. It can be especially challenging to exercise when you are severely overweight, making the battle to lose weight even more difficult.

Gastric bypass surgery promotes dramatic, long-term weight loss by dividing the stomach into two smaller pouches. This procedure limits the amount of food that can be eaten, and minimizes the nutrients (and calories) that are absorbed by the body.

Prior to performing gastric bypass surgery, our surgeons want to ensure that their patients are well prepared for treatment. Here, we go over the gastric bypass pre-op instructions that will prepare our Tijuana, Mexico patients for a safe and successful surgical treatment.

In the Months and Weeks before Surgery

It is important for patients to take all the steps necessary to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared for surgery. Although gastric surgery allows patients to lose a large amount of weight in a relatively short amount of time, those results can be compromised if the patient is not prepared to follow through with imperative lifestyle changes. The best way to prepare for gastric bypass surgery is to begin to adapt these changes in the months leading up to treatment.

Below are some important pre-op steps for gastric bypass patients:

• Meet with a registered dietician to discuss what your diet needs will be before and after surgery
• Work with a therapist or fitness trainer to develop an exercise plan for before and after surgery
• Consider joining a support group for gastric bypass patients or those considering bariatric surgery
• Begin drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day
• Refrain from smoking for at least eight weeks prior to surgery
• Discuss medication use with our doctors and implement any necessary changes in the weeks leading up to surgery

In the Days before Surgery

After surgery, the patient will need plenty of time to rest and recover, so it is important to prepare for recovery in the days leading up to treatment. Patients should take care of the following tasks in the days prior to surgery:

• Stock up on any foods or liquids that will be eaten in the first several days or weeks of gastric bypass recovery
• Have any prescribed medications filled
• Pick up medical supplies, such as gauze, bandages, and ice packs
• Make arrangements with a friend or family member to get to and from the hospital for treatment

The Day of Surgery

The day of surgery, we want patients to feel as relaxed as possible, so hopefully all prep work will be taken care of by this point. Patients should avoid eating or drinking anything on the day of their surgery (starting at midnight the night before). We advise patients to show up in loose, comfortable clothing, and leave all jewelry or other valuables at home. The face should be free of make-up and the body should be free of cosmetics such as lotion and perfume. Be sure to arrive a little early to the appointment so that any last-minute concerns can be addressed.

Contact Us

Our experienced weight loss surgeons have helped many patients overcome obesity through bariatric surgery. If you are interested in learning more about gastric bypass surgery and whether you may be a candidate for this procedure, contact us at your earliest convenience.

If you are obese and have struggled to lose weight, Tijuana Bariatrics can help. We offer a host of weight loss procedures that help you curb your appetite and experience long-term weight loss. These aren’t just bold claims either. We have the numbers to back this up.

The team at our Tijuana, Mexico practice would like to consider gastric bypass surgery. This gold standard in surgical weight loss is highly effective, and statistics show why.

Numbers on Obesity

The obesity numbers in America are rather staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 36.5 percent of Americans suffer from obesity. Obesity was most prevalent among people between the ages of 40-59 years old (40.2 percent), followed by people 60 and older (37 percent), and adults between the ages of 20-39 (32.3 percent).

In terms of childhood obesity, roughly 17 percent of people between the ages of 2-19 suffer from obesity. This covers roughly 12.7 million people in that age range.

By comparison, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 13 percent of the planet’s entire population is obese. Given these numbers, you can understand why people refer to obesity as an epidemic in America.

Future Projections About Obesity

The National Heart Forum took existing obesity numbers and made some estimates based on that data. If the current model holds, roughly 50 percent of Americans will be obese in the year 2030. Those numbers are alarming given the many health risks associated with obesity.

Bariatric Surgery Numbers

When diet and exercise fail at achieving healthy weight loss, many people turn to weight loss surgery. In 2015, there were 196,000 bariatric surgery procedures performed in just the United States. The number makes sense given the rise in obesity rates in the US over the years.

Of the procedures performed, the procedure breakdown was as follows:

• Gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy) – 51.7 percent
• Gastric bypass – 23.1 percent
• Gastric banding – 5.7 percent

While the second most popular surgery, the gastric bypass is particularly effective when dealing with morbid obesity and higher levels of obesity. The gastric bypass reduced the amount of food one consumes in a single sitting and also helps prevent absorption of calories during digestion. This allows for reduced calorie intake and high degrees of weight loss.

How Much Weight Is Lost Following a Gastric Bypass?

Thanks to the nature of gastric bypass surgery, patients can expect to lose around 65-70 percent of their excess body weight thanks to the procedure. Keep in mind that your excess weight is not your starting weight; excess weight is the amount of weight you need to lose to get your BMI into a healthier range.

For example, if your starting weight is 400 lbs and you carry 205 lbs of excess weight, gastric bypass surgery will help you lose around 133 lbs. Additional weight loss can be achieved through good diet and proper exercise.

Success Rates for Gastric Bypass

The success rates of gastric bypass surgery are quite high. Some estimates put the rate of success as high as 85-90 percent. The surgery does have a low rate of serious complications as well at roughly 5 percent.

While weight loss plateaus after about two years, studies find that patients still maintain at least 50 percent of excess weight loss in the long run. This can lead to significant improvements in your overall health and wellness.

Contact Tijuana Bariatrics

To learn more about gastric bypass surgery and your many other options for achieving a healthy BMI, be sure to contact the weight loss surgeons of Tijuana Bariatrics. We look forward to your visit and discussing these matters in much greater detail.

Gastric bypass surgery remains one of the most well-known and effective options out there for people who suffer from morbid obesity. The team at Tijuana Bariatrics has helped countless patients lose weight and lead healthier lives thanks to this surgery.

Sometimes gastric bypass surgery does not work as well as intended, however. Patients may not lose all of the weight they were supposed to, hampering their journey to a better tomorrow. If this happens, bariatric surgery revision may be the answer. Let’s explore these issues below.

Failure to Lose Weight After Gastric Bypass

After undergoing a gastric bypass, some patients fail to lose sufficient weight. This can be due to a host of factors, but primary among them is that the initial surgery did not do enough to reduce caloric consumption and/or caloric absorption. In these cases, patients can only lose so much weight during the surgical process, and they may fall well short of their weight loss goals.

When this occurs, it’s important that patients consider undergoing a revision of the initial gastric bypass. This revision surgery can help promote further weight loss, allowing people suffer from obesity to lose sufficient weight.

How Bariatric Surgery Revision Works

During bariatric surgery revision, a second procedure is performed in order to alter the condition of the initial bariatric procedure. For a gastric sleeve, for example, a bariatric surgeon may perform the surgery again to resize the smaller stomach pouch. This will help reduce the amount of calories that can be consumed in a single sitting.

Resizing the stomach can also be done during a revision for gastric bypass surgery. This will reduce the amount of calories that can be eaten in a single sitting, and in the process help improve a patient’s rate and total amount of weight loss. Sometimes a simple revision like this is all that’s required to ensure the success of a gastric bypass.

Determining a Good Size for the Stomach Pouch Revision

When assessing the needs of the patient, it’s important that the stomach pouch be resized properly. Being too conservative with the resizing might mean patients won’t lose all of the weight that they should. However, being too drastic could lead to a number of serious health issues if surgeons aren’t careful. Thanks to the years of expertise by our team, any resizing revisions will be done with great care and deliberation.

It’s also possible that a surgeon may not believe that resizing alone is enough. In these cases, it may be a better option to perform a duodenal switch. This alteration to the gastric bypass can help patients lose the weight they need.

How Gastric Bypass Revision Is Performed

In essence, a revision gastric bypass is performed much like an initial gastric bypass, with surgeons using small incisions and state-of-the-art tools to alter the patient’s stomach and digestive tract. Whenever possible, a revision surgery is performed using the same incision sites as the initial surgery. This limits the need for additional incisions and more scarring on the patient.

The Results of Gastric Bypass Revision

Many patients who undergo a gastric bypass revision finally experience the full benefits of bariatric surgery. These patients lose the extra weight that would not go away, and experience a healthy shedding of pounds over the next few months. Even if some weight comes back as it inevitably does, patients will be thinner, trimmer, and much healthier thanks to the revision procedure.

Learn More About Gastric Bypass Revision

If you would like more information about gastric bypass revision and how it can benefit you, be sure to contact a weight loss surgery specialist today. The team at Tijuana Bariatrics will be more than happy to discuss these matters in greater detail.

Obesity is an increasing problem in many parts of the world. Often, exercise and healthy eating are not enough to improve your health. For this reason, many patients are turning to gastric bypass surgery to help them lose their extra pounds. However, this procedure has been known to result in hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. The team of professionals at Tijuana Bariatrics in Tijuana, MX, would like their patients to know the facts about how to maintain normal blood sugar after gastric bypass.

How Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Affect Blood Sugar?

Gastric bypass is a type of bariatric surgery that has proven safe and highly effective in helping patients lose a significant amount of weight. The doctors at Tijuana Bariatrics perform this low-cost procedure regularly with excellent results. Their patients lose an average of 10 to 20 pounds every month for a year following the surgery. This dramatic weight loss is invariably accompanied by better overall health and improved confidence.

As is the case with any surgical procedure, however, gastric bypass patients can experience certain complications. One of these is postprandial hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar occurring after a meal. This condition, which has been termed reactive hypoglycemia, is usually not noticed until a year or more following surgery. It occurs because patients produce too much insulin in response to the meal. They may also have become more sensitive to the blood sugar-lowering effects of their own insulin.

Patients can usually recognize the onset of hypoglycemia by its symptoms, which generally occur from one to three hours following a meal. These include confusion, anxiety, cold sweats, dizziness, hunger, and shakiness. In extreme cases, they can even progress to unconsciousness.

Preventing Low Blood Sugar

Fortunately, most gastric bypass patients never experience reactive hypoglycemia, but those who do should understand how to manage it. The goal is to maintain a constant blood sugar level throughout the day. Tips include:

• Eat three to four balanced meals daily, spacing them apart equally. Keep carbohydrates to a minimum, especially those with a high glycemic index.
• Limit the intake of sweets, since they ultimately lower blood sugar by stimulating insulin secretion.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, as it can also result in lower blood sugar levels.
• Pay attention to symptoms and act before they become severe, especially while driving or engaging in any other potentially dangerous activities.

How to Stop Symptoms from Progressing

Knowing how to treat your symptoms once they appear is also important. As with prevention, these steps should focus on returning the blood sugar back to normal. It is important to eat something, either a meal or a light snack, as soon as symptoms become apparent. If the symptoms are severe–including light-headedness or profuse perspiration, for example–drink a sweet juice or eat something very sweet, preferably containing glucose. Patients should understand that these sweets, though necessary now, will cause a rebound effect later. Therefore, they are advised to monitor themselves closely for the next few hours and be sure to eat again shortly.

Reach Out to Tijuana Bariatrics for More Information

Patients who have experienced episodes of low blood sugar following gastric bypass surgery are encouraged to give our team a call. The team is also eager to speak with individuals who are carrying pounds that they just can’t seem to lose with diet and exercise. Tijuana Bariatrics helps patients to stay healthy and restore their figure and self-confidence. Contact the practice online to learn more about your options.

When patients are extremely overweight, this can lead to a host of health issues, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, and diabetes. With diabetes, the patient faces a whole new set of pressing health matters.

In some cases, diet and exercise are not enough, and patients might require gastric bypass surgery. For patients who need gastric bypass and have diabetes, the doctors coordinating with Tijuana Bariatrics in Tijuana, Mexico, and Monterrey, Mexico, take special care to personalize weight loss programs. The goal is to ensure patients are safe, healthy, and achieve long-term results. Patients can expect to experience improved health and a higher quality of life after surgery. 

The Link between Weight and Diabetes

According to the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), individuals who are overweight “are three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to patients who are normal weight.” The extra weight can cause the body to be less sensitive to insulin and lead to insulin resistance. The body becomes less effective at reducing sugar levels and eventually, the body no longer produces insulin.

Diabetes is a serious illness and has many complications. Some of the most serious effects of the disease include:

• Nerve damage
• Kidney failure
• Blindness
• Foot or leg amputation
• Bacterial infections

Losing weight can help you manage your blood sugar more effectively. By shedding excess pounds, you can manage diabetes better and minimize your chance of more serious complications. 

Candidates for Surgery

The physicians working alongside Tijuana Bariatrics can determine whether you are a candidate for gastric bypass. To be eligible, your BMI should typically be higher than 40 since doctors recommend the surgery for individuals who need it the most. If your BMI is 35+, your doctor might consider gastric bypass if you have other health issues. For patients who have not achieved success through diet and exercise alone, you might be a candidate for weight loss surgery.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Doctors are now able to offer minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. In contrast to open surgery, this approach only requires a few small incisions. Your surgeon places specialized instruments through the incisions and performs the procedure using a small camera, which provides an enhanced view.

To perform gastric bypass, the surgeon will divide the stomach into two sections. The upper half will hold less food, so you get fuller off smaller portions. Finally, the doctor will connect the upper half to the lower part of the intestines before closing the incisions. 

Food will go into the lower section of the bowels to prevent the body from absorbing the majority of the food’s calories. Less caloric intake allows overweight and obese patients to lose weight more rapidly. Patients must also adhere to a healthier lifestyle.

What to Expect after Surgery

After surgery, you should expect to spend three to five days in the hospital. Within the first two weeks, your incisions should fully heal. You should typically be able to return to work within two weeks. After about a month, you should be able to resume more physically demanding activities like exercise. Complete recovery usually takes three to five weeks.

Maintaining Your Results

Your doctor will provide explicit instructions to help you achieve optimal results. This includes eating healthy, appropriate portions. Your doctor can also recommend an exercise plan to help you maintain your weight. It is crucial to keep all scheduled appointments with your physician for the best outcomes.

Schedule a Consultation

For patients with diabetes who are interested in gastric bypass surgery, please contact Tijuana Bariatrics in Tijuana and Monterrey online or call (800) 308-3607. The team will schedule a consultation to determine if you are a candidate and explain the entire surgical process.