When You Need a Conversion or Revision to Your Bariatric Procedure
Dr. Chang believes in a 100% commitment from his patients, just as he gives 100% of his passion and dedication to them. For most, this works well because weight struggles are lifelong. Without accountability, it’s easy to lose focus and motivation and gain back significant weight. Fortunately, good patient selection, education, and working on your habits keeps most of our patients on the right track. We rarely have to worry about bariatric revisions or conversions among our patients.
Does Long-Term PPI Use Increase the Risk of Dementia?
A recent study has shed more light on the potential risks and complications of long-term proton pump inhibitor or PPI use, showing that long-term use may increase the risk of dementia by over 30%. The study followed patients over 45 who took PPIs for more than four years. The results add to the list of potential side effects of using these drugs past the amount of time indicated.
Managing Excess Skin After Weight Loss
Whether you’re losing weight using weight loss medications like Wegovy® and ZepboundTM or off-label like Ozempic® and MounjaroTM, or if you’ve had bariatric surgery, excess skin is a concern. Most bariatric patients should expect to develop some loose skin after their procedure. At their highest weight, they may have stretched their skin. The good news is that the skin can shrink back down with proper exercise and proper weight loss. However, we have seen some patients with remarkable little loose skin but these patients were very discipline with their eating and exercise.
Is An “Ideal” BMI Real?
Almost everything we discuss with bariatric surgeons revolves around BMI or body mass index. While BMI is a handy tool for measuring whether a patient is at an appropriate weight, it is somewhat inaccurate or at least doesn’t consider differences in body types. Very muscular people (for example…a professional football player), may have a BMI that is considered “obese”. However, their muscle mass accounts for their high weight. Further, it doesn’t consider that many patients may be of average BMI, yet they have a significant risk of weight-related medical problems because they have not built proper musculature – a phenomenon known as “skinny fat.”
Maintaining Muscle Mass During Periods of Significant Weight Loss
Anyone who has tried to lose weight has enjoyed shedding those pounds. Dropping pounds quickly is even more thrilling. But there are several reasons why we preach moderation, even in weight loss. You’re most likely to experience these rapid drops after taking weight loss medications like Wegovy or Zepbound or having bariatric surgery, and one of the biggest concerns during this weight loss process is losing muscle mass.
How NOT to Lose Weight – By Dr. Craig Chang
Dr. Chang is a straight shooter and wants anyone considering bariatric surgery to know the truth about the process. Having performed thousands of weight loss procedures, he has an outlook on losing weight that may be jarring for some and refreshingly honest for others. Let’s get right to it…how not to lose weight:
Common Misunderstandings and Misconceptions Before Bariatric Surgery
The effects and results of bariatric surgery are a complex interplay of physical and psychological factors that help patients lose a significant amount of weight. But every patient is different, as are their motivations and abilities. As such, all patients are unique, and predicting results beyond the generalities is challenging, if not impossible. With that, many patients come into their consultation (sometimes even leaving it) with misconceptions and misunderstandings that should be fully understood before surgery. This article will discuss those and how we ensure patients understand the truth about their procedure.
Losing Weight Too Fast After Bariatric Surgery
We must manage expectations when discussing the weight loss process after bariatric surgery. For many, this includes discussing realistic goals for how much weight should be lost (and how quickly). We try to temper expectations. Sometimes, patients set unrealistic goals or those that would not be achieved for several years and this leads to frustration and a feeling of failure. However, patients often find, especially in the first few months after surgery, that they may be losing significantly more weight than they expect and more than we suggest in their postoperative packet. There are many possible reasons for this, and we delve into a few of them here.
How Can Obesity Affect Sexual Function in Men, and What Can We Do?
Obesity is an insidious disease affecting many parts of our bodies. It also has physical and psychological effects that can change someone’s life and lifestyle in a decidedly negative way. Unfortunately, with such a significant part of the population overweight and obese in the United States today, metabolic diseases and their consequences are becoming increasingly apparent. While the effects of obesity on many parts of the body and organs are discussed all over the internet, we are less apt to discuss sexual function, something that can be significantly impaired in individuals with obesity. For this article, we will be talking about male patients and the two most problematic consequences of obesity, as far as sexual function – low desire and erectile dysfunction…
How Obesity Increases Blood Pressure
As you probably already know, obesity is a leading cause of hypertension or high blood pressure. Hypertension, along with several other weight-related concerns, make up metabolic syndrome, a significant risk factor for longer-term heart disease and congestive heart failure. While this is no secret, the medical community has not been all that great about educating patients on how obesity can cause high blood pressure. In this article, we will discuss just that.
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