Re: Losing weight before surgery

[Guest guest]

Joe could explain it better about the abdominal compartment syndrome. But the

main reasons are:

1) the less you weigh, the less anesthesia used and the quicker the recovery

time from the anesthesia

2) many of us have a fatty liver from being obese, losing 10% of our body weight

can reduce the amount of fat around the liver, thereby shrinking it. Given the

position of the liver, during open surgeries, the liver needs to be moved/folded

out of the way..the bigger the liver, the more than needs to be moved, thereby

increasing the chance of damage to the liver or bleeding from it being

folded/bent in directions it wasn't meant to go

3) abdominal compartment syndrome, which Joe could explain better, but basically

from what I understand, being obese we have a tendency to have more fat around

our organs and they are more densely packed together because of that reason.

This creates greater inter-abdominal pressure, which can cause

complications..this can also be reduced by losing some weight

4) theoretically, the less you weigh in general and the more you exercise of

course, the healthier you are and the quicker your recovery will be in general

I would love to lose about 30 lbs before surgery for those very reasons..can I

do it ? I really have no idea. I'm not like some others who can lose 100 lbs at

the drop of a hat, but slowly gain it back..I have a hard time just losing 15 -

20 lbs, so I'll really have to work at it and I may ask my WLS surgeons advice.

Anyway, those I are the reasons I have seen doctors suggest the weight

loss...some others say part of it is about compliance, but hell, if we were able

to maintain compliance with a diet, most of us wouldn't be having surgery! I

also don't think that it's a mandatory 10%, at least not for most doctors,

that's just the goal amount that could make a significant difference in reducing

side affects/complications during surgery.

Anita

Pre-pre-op in Denver

> In a message dated 5/21/01 7:15:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time, jloran@a...

> writes:

>

>

> > I'm sorry, but I don't understand why they want patients to lose 10% before

> > surgery - I do understand about the abdominal compartment syndrome, but I

> > don't think a blanket ten percent is doable for everyone. After all, if we

> > could diet successfully, we wouldn't be in the doctor's office talking

> > about

> > (begging for) this drastic surgery.

> >

> >

>

> I don't get that either. I was thinking maybe to see if you comply? I

> don't know about anyone else but if I could lose 10% and keep it off....I'd

> do it!

>

>

> ~~* AJ *~~

> BMI 58

> NW Washington Medical

> DR Heap, Richland WA

> Working on 1st appeal