My Diabetes Information Blogs
See Live Stomach-Shrinking Surgery
12/05/06
Events, Nutrition & Exercise, Treatment Options, General
There are some people who are disciplined and determined. They eat responsibly and exercise regularly. Nevertheless, for some reason their body still manages to hold onto an unhealthy amount of fat. When diets and exercise fail to help a person leave the ranks of the obese and lower blood sugar levels, one rather dramatic option remains: stomach-shrinking surgery, also known as gastric bypass. It's a relatively complex procedure, and it carries serious risks. Furthermore, it does not absolve patients from eating a proper diet and exercising. However, it can be a powerful strategy for helping the efforts of diet and exercise pay off—especially for those who have done the work, but not seen the reward. For many people with diabetes, it can help them win the war against diabetes.
Tomorrow, December 6, you can watch a gastric bypass surgery live on the Internet. Tufts University Medical Center will host the Web cast beginning at 6:00 pm, EST. The primary reason we are passing on this information is so people considering weight loss surgery have a clear idea of the procedure that they would be going through.
There are a few disclaimers. First, watching surgery can be plain gross. If you don't have the stomach for things like scalpels, blood, and internal organs, you should not watch it. Second, there are a number of different gastric bypass and weight loss procedures. The one you see tomorrow may or may not be the ideal procedure for you or other people. There is a lot of controversy about which procedure is the best procedure.
If you would like to tune in to the procedure tomorrow, go to http://www.or-live.com/Tufts-NEMC/1730/event_nlm/rnh.cfm at 6:00 pm, EST, 5:00 pm CST, 4:00 pm MST, and 3:00 pm PST. or-live.com often keeps the archived broadcast on its Web site as well.
You will need the RealPlayer plug in to see the Web cast. If you do not have it, you can add it right from the Web cast site. You can also go to real.com and click the yellow button on the right that says "Free Download."