Roller Coasters after Bariatric Surgery?

Yesterday I saw Stephanie, a patient of mine, in the office one week after a laparoscopic gastric bypass operation. I was surprised when she asked if she could ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park just 11 days after her operation. She said she loved roller coasters and especially enjoyed the rides that make her hang upside down!

I said I was delighted she was doing so well she wanted to ride the rides at an amusement park a week or so after her operation. However, even if it does not injure you, hanging upside down is for bats not humans!

How to dress during dramatic weightloss - Dr. Myers' Daughter explains

Dramatic weightloss requires dramatic wardrobe changes. I, Stephanie, (stylist and Dr. Myers' daughter) want to focus on finding a good dress first, because it can be very versatile while you are loosing weight (Sorry Guys! This one is for the Girls!). Especially after surgery, a dress can be a wonderful solution for you while your body is in this very dramatic transitional time period. Here is what to look for while shopping for this must-have fall wardrobe essential: The Dress. Here are five points to guide you to the perfect dress. Let's get started!


#1 What to look for in the perfect dress - Structure

A dress with structure is going to give your body shape, such as this dress from Nordstrom.




I love this dress! The denim is right on trend for this fall. This dress works because of the structure in the bodice which gives the rest of the body a perfect shape. The skirt is full and falls gracefully away from the waist. This is a wonderful solution and a great option for your fall wardrobe. And as the weather changes and cools down, you can switch out the white belt for a nice leather one and pair the dress with an adorable sweater or cropped jacket. Finish the look with a pair of cute boots.

Now, moving right along to the second aspect to look for...


#2 What to look for in the perfect dress - Visual Lines

First of all, can we all just agree that this is a gorgeous dress?! The idea behind a dress like this is that the lines in the garment create a visual trick and elongate the entire body. The draping is also a very current way to look effortlessly glamorous.
Look for these kind of detailing that can quickly update a wardrobe and making you look very modern at the same time.



#3 What to look for in the perfect dress - Necklines

Necklines are an important aspect to look for when you are shopping for the perfect dress this fall. This hot pink dress from Nordstrom is fabulous. It has the best two important key elements when looking at the neckline of a dress. The V-neck is wonderful and creates an illusion of length. Also, the faux-wrap on the bodice can also minimize the chest.




#4 What to look for in the perfect dress - Fit

This specific area of dressing yourself walks a fine line. It is very important to wear a size that is fitted, yet not too tight. However, leave enough room that you can breathe and move easily, and yet is not baggy. If ever you have a question as to if the fit is right on you or not, then try on three different sizes. One that is typically your size, then a size up and a size down from that. Also, because brands can size very differently.

The following two pictures gives two examples of dresses that fit just right.





And now for an ill fitting garment..

The reason why this garment doesn't work is because it hides a figure all together, and what begins as a good intention to hide unwanted weight, actually creates more surface area instead of the desired camouflaging.



#5 - What to look for in the perfect dress - Texture & Fabric

Fabrics are incredibly important aspects of finding a great dress for this season. Look for fabrics that have a certain stiff quality. These fabrics can be forgiving and can camouflage problem areas. Where as a thin jersey (or t-shirt fabric) can cause unwanted hugging. This dress is a fantastic example of almost all of the points we just discussed. I can just see it now with the perfect pair of boots and an adorable jacket for the fall...



And when you are ready to go shopping, Contact me! I would love to guide you through your fall wardrobe and give assistance during the transition time after surgery. We can go to Target or Saks Fifth Avenue and everywhere in between. Contact me at: Stephanie.Myers1@gmail.com

News Release

Columbus, Ohio, September 5, 2010

Free Interactive Bariatric Surgery Course Now Available Online

Prospective weight loss surgery patients can now learn more about bariatric surgery by accessing a new free interactive online course at www.freshstartbariatrics.com. Dr. Steve Myers, a bariatric surgeon in Columbus, Ohio has developed the online seminar in close collaboration with Riverside Methodist Hospital. “This course shares information in plain language for people of size that would like more detail about which bariatric operation would be best for them”, Dr. Myers explains.

This free progressive course includes many videos, drop and drag activities, pictures, information ‘dots’ on diagrams, interactive question and answer opportunities and click for definitions in user friendly terms. Myers says, “This is truly an interactive experience”. Prospective patients unable to attend the live Fresh Start Seminar can now obtain the same information online. For those interested in proceeding in the Fresh Start Bariatrics program, this course can be the first step in the process.

This new course provides clear, transparent information in an easy to learn format and will help persons of size choose the best approach possible when considering bariatric surgery.

An Unusual Way to Keep Weight off after Bariatric Surgery

Last week I saw Peggy Lauritzen, one of my patients, in the office and she told me of the unusual way she reminds herself to eat slowly. She carries chopsticks in her purse and uses them for all of her meals!

Think it is crazy? She has kept her weight off and is doing very well several years after her gastric bypass. It may be a little quirky but it works for her.

Once a friend of hers said "I would lose weight too if I used chop sticks." Peggy said, "so what's your point.

How do slow down your eating? Do you have a quirky way to remind yourself to slow down and chew slowly. Leave a comment and I will share it with the other 750 people that follow this blog each month.

Losing Weight Prior to Bariatric Surgery May Help Obtain Your Best Result

Every week I see patients who have been operated on at other programs only to gain back much of their weight or disappointed with the amount of weight they have lost. Often people had their operation when their weight was considerably more than a BMI of 55. (That would be more than 355 lbs for a person that is 5 foot 7 inches tall.)

This is the message:

Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve operations help people lose weight for only about one year.

After the first year the operation is likely to help the patient to maintain their weight at about the same level but it is unlikely that they will lose more weight from the operation.

Whatever a person’s weight is one year after a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve operation is at 1 year after the operation is likely to be about near their best weight.

That is why we choose to make sure each patient is no more than a BMI of 55 prior to surgery. This can be done with dietary changes, medications and/or a physician supervised very low carbohydrate diet.

Shifting the curve I drew for you downwards, (note the purple arrow pointing down), before surgery is the way to obtain the best result after surgery.



The weight loss curve is about the same regardless of how much excess weight someone has. Although there may be the occasional exception, the most a patient is likely to lose after a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve operation is about 170 to 200 lbs. That means if you have 300 to 400 lbs of excess weight you are still likely to have 200 lbs of excess weight after surgery. This is why we encourage our patients to "shift the curve" downward to a BMI of 55 if their weight exceeds this number. Then after surgery they are much more likely to lose nearly all of their excess weight and approach ideal weight and resolve many of their obesity related medical problems.

These are the benefits of reaching a BMI of 55 or less before surgery.

Better results
Weight reaches near Ideal weight at 1 year
Better resolution of obesity related medical problems
Less complications
Less likely to need a tracheostomy
Less likely to need to need ICU stay
Less likely to have skin or muscle breakdown from being in bed after surgery

This is the bottom line:
Safer operation with better results

Posted by Stephan Myers, MD, FACS, Bariatric Surgeon, Columbus , Ohio

Antidepressants and Bariatric Surgery

Antidepressants and Bariatric Surgery

Some antidepressants cause weight gain. Others suppress appetite and can help with weight loss. Below is a list of antidepressants that fit into three separate categories.


Antidepressants that may increase your weight:

Paxil - (this is known to be the worst to cause weight gain)
Elavil or other tricyclic antidepressants
Trazadone

Antidepressants that tend to be weight neutral. (After early weight loss patients tend to slowly gain weight over time.)

Prozac
Zoloft
Celexa

Antidepressants that often cause weight loss

Wellbutrin
Cymbalta
Effexor
Prestique

If you are taking an antidepressant that is known to cause weight gain or is weight neutral speak with your primary care physician or psychiatrist about the possibility of changing to an antidepressant that can assist you in losing weight or help you keep your weight off.

Please do not stop any antidepressant without consulting your doctor.

Outcomes of Bariatric Sugery at Fresh Start Bariatrics at Riverside

We continue to be transparent and bring you as much information as possible.

Below you will find the results of 277 bariatric surgery patients operated on by Stephan Myers, MD, FACS at Riverside Methodist Hospital. Each patient was seen in our office in follow up 1 year after their operation where the following information was obtained.

I would like to caution you before you make too much of this information.

First, there are only 25 patients who had a gastric sleeve operation and had 1 year follow up at the time these numbers were tallied. Therefore there is less certainty about the gastric sleeve results. In fact there are so few patients in several categories to make any conclusions. For example note that there are only two patients that had stress incontinence in the gastric sleeve category and both had resolution of this problem. More numbers will undoubtedly show many patients will not resolve this medical problem.

Second, there is a definite bias in these results since patients with diabetes and severe acid reflux most often choose a gastric bypass since this procedure is the most effective operation to resolve these problems. Therefore, patients with less severe diabetes and reflux often choose one of the other operations but since their disease is less severe it is unfair to compare the numbers between operations.
You are welcome to this raw information but please understand that this is not comparing “apples to apples” and this not statistically valid for comparison between the three operations.

Key:
LRYGB ---Laparoscopic Roux en-Y gastric bypass
Sleeve ---Laparoscopic Gastric sleeve procedure
Band ---Adjustable gastric band procedure
N= ---Number of cases in each category