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Category: complication of lap Band

“Normal” Lap Band placement!

April 23, 2013 9:39 pm

One of the most common problems that we see are patients who have been told that their band is in correct placement, and yet they are still having nausea, vomiting, reflux etc. These patients are frequently blamed for their symptoms as if properly placed band completely eliminates the problems being associated with the band.

The image above is an upper GI of a patient with no band in place.
The image above shows the esophagus of a patient with band placed, with no dilation of the esophagus.
The above image, shows the properly placed band with a grossly dilated esophagus above it.
This patient presented with daily nausea and vomiting and severe reflux, not even tolerating liquids even-thought the study was reported as “normal location and position” for Lap band.

Carbonated Drinks and Weight Loss Surgery

August 11, 2012 3:56 pm

The consumption of carbonated drinks is discouraged after weight loss surgery. In fact, there is a wealth of information that documents the detrimental health effects of carbonated drinks for each individual. These include osteoporosis, obesity, and premature dental decay, just to name a few.  Indirectly, carbonated drinks have been found to increase risk of stroke and Cardiac events. There are studies that show a 48% increase in heart attack and stroke rates for individuals who drink diet sodas vs. those who drink it rarely or not at all.

There is also no health benefit to diet carbonated drinks.  In fact, there are animal studies that show that rats who consume no-calorie sweeteners found in diet sodas experience an increased appetite (Susan Swithers, PhD- 2004).

There are also other factors to consider. The carbonation comes from a mixture of dissolved gasses that are released when the container is opened.  The Carbon Dioxide gas dissolved in the drinks, amongst others, can distend the stomach. Potentially, stretching your stomach. There is also acidity that needs to be corrected by the body. This has been shown to result in changes in the bacterial population in the GI track, resulting in significant bloating and reduced absorption of nutrients.

Calcium loss is caused by the leaching of the calcium from the bones with carbonated drinks, which can cause osteoporosis.