According to a new study from the University of Slotervaart in Amsterdam, there is a set of eating difficulties caused by gastric bypass surgery among adults.
The common objective for people who undergo this kind of surgery is the quick and efficient loss of high amounts of weight. Other causes that could lead people to undergo this surgery are sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and other morbid conditions. There are two types of gastric bypass surgery. The first one is proximal and the second one is distal. In any way, the operation divides the stomach into two pouches, one small and one large.
Also, the intestine is relocated in order to create communication in both sections. This produces the ingested food to be bypassed, causing a lower calory consumption. According to this new study, there is a body of negative consequences produced by this procedure. The results showed that gastrointestinal diseases are very common in patients who underwent this operation.
Study results
Almost 600 adults who underwent this type of surgery were subject to analysis, and most of them were between 40 and 50 years old. Also, there were 250 cases of laparoscopic bypass surgery. After two years of continuous investigation, the research team was able to conclude the complications that this operation produces in the long term.
Indigestion is one of the complaints that was present in the most number of cases, while abdominal pains, cramps, and diarrhea are other common complications.
Also, about 70 percent of the analyzed patients showed an intolerance to certain types of food like red meats and meals with high amounts of sugar in it. Even water is intolerable for 7 percent of the cases when comparing them to the control group.
According to lead researcher, Thomas Boerlage, MD, there is no relation between weight loss and the digestive complications reported, while he noted that the results should be alarming to the scientific and health community.
Recommendations for gastric bypass surgery patients
Despite the fact that many of the studied persons are sure about how this surgery is life-changing or life-saving, according to Boerlage, there is a body of suggestions that must be taken to avoid certain complications.
“Patients should adhere to the dietary guidelines given to them after weight loss surgery. This will surely help to alleviate symptoms, although not all symptoms can be prevented,” Boerlage stated when referring to what can patients do to overcome the complaints.
In a final note, the researchers established that more studies regarding other types of bariatric surgeries must me made to determine possible secondary long-term effects.
Source: Newser