FAQs

Obesity is a disease and not just extra weight, because it causes a lot of problems and complications that threaten a person’s life, and he is unable to live his life normally because of the chronic diseases he suffers from due to obesity such as hypertension, diabetes, and other complications.

Among these complications are bones and joint pains, which affect movement and the person feels tired from any easy physical activity, and in this article, we will know more about the effect of obesity on bones.

Excess load causes pain in the knee joint and feet, and this suffering increases with weight gain, and some may also complain of pain in the pelvic joint or the back of the spine, and this may cause arthritis and chronic inflammation of the cartilages of these joints, and may accumulate the amount of liquid out sometimes.

This phenomenon occurs to many people for many reasons, but obese patients are more susceptible to flat feet, due to the excessive load on the muscles of the foot, and a person may suffer from heel pain as a result of the presence of some protrusions on the heel bones, which cause pain while walking.

It does not happen to most obese patients, as it occurs to those who have a genetic predisposition to developing this disease.  Gout is an increase in the rate of uric acid in the blood and its deposition in the membranes lining the joints, especially at the joint of the big toe of the foot, and this leads to severe pain, swelling, and redness in this joint.

Excessive intake of carbohydrates helps to increase the incidence of knee joint infections:

An American study through the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in the United States confirmed that eating carbohydrates, especially starches rich in sugar, helped increase the incidence of knee joint inflammation.

This study was done by observing a group of mice that were fed a carbohydrate-based diet, and they found that sugars were the cause of an increase in the risk of osteoarthritis in the knee in animals, even if their weights were low.

This greatly affected mobility and movement, because these infections caused swelling that affected the movement of hands and legs, and with many people, it developed into osteoporosis.

Fat accumulates in the abdominal area, where the abdomen consists of two muscles, and with the increase in weight, the abdomen is compressed forward, and this leads to increased pressure on the spine, so it causes pain in separate places in the back, and in some cases, it may reach the cartilage and the person suffers a herniated disc  Which causes severe pain that sometimes leads to difficulty moving to the point of physical disability.

Yes, but this applies to people who are candidates for obesity operations only, as some people suffer from a slight increase in weight, and this increase can be eliminated through various diet plans and sports, and sometimes the smart capsule.  Where weight loss reduces pressure on joints and vertebrae, and the person gradually stops taking painkillers and medications that treat arthritis, in addition to resorting to physical therapy to strengthen joints and muscles.

This only happens with cases that suffer from third and fourth-degree arthritis, and the orthopedic doctor may have to resort to surgical intervention to get rid of these pains.

Bariatric surgeries achieve a dream for many people to get rid of excess weight after suffering from obesity and attempts of various diet regimes and sports exercising. Performing bariatric surgery is just the beginning of your journey to maintain health and reach the ideal weight, and enjoy your life naturally.

Unfortunately, some patients may gain weight again or suffer from annoying side effects such as vomiting and fatigue. These patients may have to take the consultation of the expert bariatric surgeon, Dr. Mohamed Abo El Naga, to perform a Redo surgery.

The obese patient must adhere to all the instructions of the nutritionist and the bariatric surgeon to prevent stomach expansion and gain weight again and to avoid any complications or risks to the patient.

Many of the patients may commit, especially in the first period, but once they achieve their goal and reach the ideal weight, they return back to their old habits of eating fast food and their lack of commitment to sports, so the weight increases again, and they resort to Redo surgeries to lose this weight.

Yes, it may be the fault of some surgeons who do not have the experience and honesty in their professional life and are not keen to know the most modern tools and techniques in bariatric surgeries. Unfortunately, the inexperienced surgeon recommends a certain type of bariatric surgery that is not suitable for all patients or chooses types of surgery that are not desirable to use because of their side effects, such as Gastric Plication. 

Otherwise, the skilled surgeon ensures the patient's health status through analysis and examinations to avoid any side effects during or after surgery. During surgery, the surgeon makes sure there is no leakage after stapling, through the leak test. It is done by injecting methylene blue dye. This test ensures that the digestive juices do not leak from the stomach and thus protects the patient from vomiting, nausea, and bleeding.

Redo surgeries are more important than bariatric surgeries because they require a skilled surgeon with great experience and many success stories to ensure the perfect choice of the appropriate surgery for the patient. Also, Redo surgeries are considered the cure in the cases of experiencing serious side effects that prevent the patient from eating normally, due to the mistake of another bariatric surgeon.

Therefore, every patient who resorts to Redo bariatric surgeries must check the biography and success stories of the surgeon he chose. The patient can follow social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the website, in addition to videos of television interviews or videos of his YouTube channel, where he explains medical information and answers all the questions on the patient's mind.

If the obese patient suffers from some gastric inflammations or stomach ulcers, he must be treated first by the gastroenterologist before performing the bariatric surgery, to ensure the best results, without any other health damage, and to avoid any weakness after surgery.

As a result of obesity prevalence in the community and the difficulty of getting rid of it by traditional methods, the demand for bariatric surgeries has increased due to their unique ability to eliminate excessive obesity. It also helps in treating most of the complications of obesity forever. Over time, the patient reaches his ideal weight, which he always dreamed of, without doing any strenuous effort, and the patient's health and psychological condition improve successively.

It is well known that bariatric surgeries reduce the complications of obesity, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and back vertebrae pain. Several studies have proven the ability of the Classic Bypass surgery to eliminate type 2 diabetes by more than 95%, through reducing the absorption of sugars and fats in the body and increasing the burning rates of the accumulated fats mainly, leading to rapid weight loss and reduced blood glucose levels.

After performing bariatric surgeries, some have experienced several minor complications, not serious but annoying, such as dry skin and hair loss. So we are going to talk about the relationship of successful bariatric surgeries to the skin and hair and do bariatric surgeries cause these complications? And how to avoid them? 

Obesity is a violent disease that may cause serious diseases, such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and others. Obesity also harms the health of the skin and hair. According to scientific researches, obese patients experience skin complications due to excessive weight gain. The most important skin complications are:

1- Skin darkening in certain places such as the neck and under the armpits.

2- Excessive hair appearance in abnormal places, such as the face, due to hormonal imbalance.

3- Hair loss, especially in the front of the head.

4- Appearance of facial pimples.

All these complications are caused by obesity, so every obese patient should take a decision to ensure good health.

Hair loss and skin dryness after the surgery are not due to the Gastric Sleeve or Gastric Bypass surgeries, but rather they appear as a result of a lack of vitamins in the body, which is a result of significantly reduced stomach size or reduced body absorption of sugars, fats, and nutrients in Gastric Bypass surgery, where nutrients such as iron, zinc and other vitamins in the blood decrease, causing hair to weaken and fall. Also, anorexia and lack of food intake are considered reasons that may lead to hair loss as the body does not get enough nutrients to nourish the skin and hair follicles, and thus the hair begins to fall gradually.

Usually, hair loss begins between one month to 6 months after the surgery, but hair loss stops upon body stability and getting used to the small food quantities.

The problem of hair loss or dry skin after bariatric surgery is not serious, as it is a matter of time until the body's hormones stabilize. Here are some ways that help deal with the problem of hair loss after the surgery:

1- Commitment to the prescribed vitamins and nutritional supplements, which are essential elements for maintaining the strength of the hair and limiting its fall. The most important are:

- Iron. 

- zinc.

- Vitamin B-complex.

- Vitamin E.

2- Drinking water in sufficient quantities, as water helps moisturize the body and protect it from dehydration, thus moisturizing the hair.

3- Eating proteins, the main component of hair cells, so make sure to eat meat, chicken, and fish, but in the quantities specified by the nutritionist.

4- Administering protein supplements to ensure getting the necessary amounts of protein.

5- Avoiding psychological stress, as the body is generally affected by psychological problems. 

Weight gain and obesity is the beginning of the emergence of other diseases and problems that affect a person’s life and behavior, but in this part, we will talk about the effect of obesity on men’s sexual ability and how bariatric surgeries give a new opportunity for obese men to regain sexual ability and enjoy their life.

Dr. Muhammad Abo El Naga, Consultant of laparoscopic and bariatric Surgeries, emphasized that obesity plays a key role in the sexual dysfunction in men, as fat cells secrete feminine hormones, and in the case of obesity, there are too many fat cells in the body, and thus increases the secretion of feminine hormones in the body, which causes Sexual dysfunction in men and a recent study conducted on obese people, the study indicated that 30% of obese people suffer from sexual dysfunction and problems related to sexual desire, and the study showed that these sexual disorders were not due to psychological problems or stress, but it was due to physical reasons.

From the above, it is clear that obesity plays an important role in influencing body hormones, especially sex hormones, as testosterone decreases in the blood and it is the male hormone responsible for showing male characteristics and regulating sexual desire in men.

Obesity also causes poor physical fitness for a man, which prevents him from having sex naturally. A person with obesity suffers from poor sexual performance and erectile dysfunction, and he needs to stop every few minutes to catch his breath. This is also a result of obesity, as it causes breathing difficulties. Other than that, obesity also affects the number of sperms in men and their movement, as their numbers decrease significantly as a result of the hormonal imbalance caused by excessive obesity.

All of these sexual disorders and problems may cause psychological problems for a man that also negatively affect his sexual ability, so the patient needs to find solutions to get rid of this problem.

One of the most important and most dangerous complications of obesity is diabetes, which is what appears in most obese patients. Diabetes is known to cause inflammation in the peripheral blood vessels and peripheral nerves, which causes venous leakage, so diabetes also plays a role in weakness or impotence.

Bariatric surgeries, such as gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, help to eliminate obesity permanently. Obesity is the main cause of sexual dysfunction. Among the positive effects of bariatric surgeries on sexual ability:

1- It works to burn fat cells and reduce them in the body, and thus the percentage of female hormones that are secreted from those cells decreases, and thus improves the sexual ability of the man.

2- It helps to regulate the percentage of hormones in the body, which improves sexual ability and increases the number of sperm.

3- Bariatric surgeries, especially bypass surgery, help to eliminate type 2 diabetes and thus reduce the negative effects of diabetes such as intravenous leakage.

4- After the man loses his extra weight, the body shape changes and the physical fitness increases significantly, and the physical and sexual ability increases as well, all of this works to reduce psychological disorders and tension and improve the psychological state of the man, which improves his sexual performance.

The quality of food plays an important role in sexual ability, for example:

1- Fats affect neurotransmitters, so you should eat fish, eggs, and nuts because they contain omega-3 and other fatty acids that work to strengthen the work of neurotransmitters.

2- Minerals improve blood circulation, so you have to eat adequate amounts of vitamin C, zinc, and iron.

3- Vitamin B enhances sexual desire and improves mood, so you should eat chickens, eggs, and take nutritional supplements rich in B complex vitamins, as they reduce stress and depression.

4- Antioxidants, as they protect the sperm and testicles from any damage, you should eat garlic, potatoes, dark chocolate, Watermelon, red pepper, and ginger.

Some obese patients fear their commitment to a permanent diet after surgery, but after reading this article he will differ their feelings completely.

The diet of bariatric surgery starts directly after bariatric surgery and continues to 6 weeks. 

What is the importance of commitment to the diet after bariatric surgery? 

The importance of commitment to the diet lies in giving the stomach an opportunity for well and return to do its job as a whole after bariatric surgery, as the patient after the surgery is like a newborn child. Unable to receive adult food and therefore the diet will take 6 weeks to promote a stomach again.

What is the diet plan in the first week after bariatric surgeries? 

The diet is prepared in the first week of skimmed drinks,  without spices, and unsweetened, and the patient must drink about a liter and half of the water every day without using Shalimoh. 

Examples of permitted drinks: 

- Chicken fat-free soup. 

- Meat fat-free soup. 

- Unsweetened apple juice or pineapple juice. 

- Warm drinks without sugar such as mint, anise, and green tea. 

- Unsweetened jelly.

In the second week, the stomach can carry full or non-seeded drinks, but with care to be skimmed and without sugar, such as 

-Skimmed milk. 

- Skimmed yogurt. 

- Skimmed Coconut milk and skimmed soy milk. 

- Detox.

In the third week after bariatric surgery, the patient can begin to eat soups blended to be soft textures, skimmed, and low spices that may feel patient, not comfortable as black pepper and hot red pepper. 

Examples of permitted soups in the third week: 

- Carrot soup. 

- Tomato soup.

- Zucchini soup. 

- Potatoes and sweet potato soup. 

- Spinach soup. 

- Artichoke soup. 

- Pumpkin soup.

What is the diet plan in the fourth week after bariatric surgery? 

In the fourth week, patients will be able to eat soft and mashed foods, such as: 

- Boiled eggs.

- Cottage cheese. 

- Mashed potatoes. 

- Chicken puree. 

- Mashed cauliflower.

What is the diet in the fifth week after bariatric surgery? 

In the fifth week of the diet, patients will be able to eat well-cooked foods so that it is easy to chew and digest, such as: 

- Vegetable soup. 

- Grilled potatoes. 

- Freekeh soup. 

- Oats soup. 

- Grilled fish. 

- Tuna without oils.

What is the diet plan after the sixth week of bariatric surgeries? 

In the sixth week, the patient can begin to eat foods similar to normal food and take care to use healthy fats, such as olive oil, corn oil, sunflower oil.

Examples of permitted foods: 

- Grilled chicken. 

- Grilled meat. 

- Grilled fish. 

- Rice and pasta. 

- Green salad. 

- Fruit salad.

Over the six weeks, the diet after bariatric surgery ends, and the patient can start taking his favorite food, but take care that you should eat healthily and not eat too much, where you must stop eating immediately after feeling full. 

You can now reassure your diet after bariatric surgery is not always a system, It is only a transitional stage to prepare your stomach to receive food and start getting rid of obesity.

The dream of motherhood and fatherhood remains just a dream that is hard to achieve for obese and overweight patients. Many women tried to succeed in conceiving, but it was useless because of their obesity and excess weight. Also, many obese men tried to be fathers and achieve the dream of fatherhood but failed for the same reason.

Does this mean that there is a relationship between obesity and delayed childbearing? Also, is it possible to get pregnant by getting rid of obesity?

In this article, we will discuss all the questions regarding this topic.

- The increase in weight and fat accumulation in the abdomen or waist lead to a decrease in the level of the male hormone which is called testosterone, a hormone of great importance in the reproductive process and sexual ability, as the low percentage of testosterone in the body leads to:

1- Weakness in sexual desire.

2- Weakness in sexual ability.

3- Incomplete development of the reproductive system, if the obese patient is in puberty period. 

4- Decreased number and quality of sperms. 

- Complications of obesity, such as vascular diseases, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes negatively affect sexual ability, as these diseases lead to hardening and blockage of the arteries carrying blood to nourish the body’s organs, including the penis, causing erectile dysfunction.

We can consider the impact of excessive obesity on the health and sexual ability of men. Therefore, most of them experience delayed reproduction as one of the complications of obesity.

- Excessive obesity and overweight in women also have the same negative effect on sexual health and reproductive capacity. The accumulated fat in the body leads to a hormonal imbalance, resulting in polycystic ovary syndrome, which in turn is a major obstacle to attempts to conceive. 

 

- Obesity does not only affect the woman who is trying to conceive but also affects the pregnant woman, as the pregnant obese woman is under many risks, such as:

1- The possibility of fetal loss.

2- Gestational diabetes, which may continue even after childbirth due to obesity.

3- Pre-eclampsia due to hypertension.

4- The damage of vital organs such as the kidneys.

5- The risk of breathing problems, especially at bedtime, may develop to the extent that breathing is interrupted.

6- The accumulation of fat in the abdominal area makes it difficult to perform the necessary ultrasound to ensure the fetal health.

7- Potential risks during normal childbirth force doctors to advise pregnant obese women to undergo cesarean section surgery to reduce risk to both mother and baby.

8- Excessive obesity weakens the effect of painkillers administered at the surgery, which exposes the mother to considerable pain.

9- Risk of infection during childbirth with cesarean section.

Now, you can recognize the effect of obesity for both men and women and how excessive weight can stand in the way of achieving their dream of becoming parents. It has also become clear the role of bariatric surgeries in treating delayed childbearing, as getting rid of excess weight through appropriate bariatric surgery paves the way for a healthy pregnancy without any problems or complications.

Being overweight is a confirmed consequence of two factors: persistent hunger and eating in large quantities, which leads to a significant weight gain, thus exposing the patient to more dangerous diseases than obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia. Also, it is possible to experience psychological diseases that may harm the patient in his or her life, such as depression, lack of self-confidence. Sometimes the harm of being overweight may reach the disruption of female hormones, which leads to delayed pregnancy, causing physical and psychological pain for women. 

Also, men share this harm and may experience delayed reproduction due to imbalance and disturbances in male hormones and sperms. Therefore, a quick and correct decision must be taken to get rid of obesity and weight gain in different ways, starting with a healthy diet with a nutritionist and sports.

Will you lose hope and despair and quickly surrender to a life without good health, full of weight and pain in all body joints and other obesity damage? or will you resort to the effective way to lose weight and get rid of obesity through various and safe bariatric surgeries? 

Yes, bariatric surgery is the best breakthrough that occurred and experienced by millions of people. It is proved to be successful with all cases who performed these surgeries, got rid of obesity and excess weight, and even reached the ideal weight and enjoyed good health. Among the most popular and widespread of these surgeries is the Gastric Sleeve surgery, which depends on cutting a large part of the stomach, including cells secreting hunger hormone. So the size of the stomach becomes small and cannot receive large amounts of food, and thus begins a noticeable decrease in weight and also eliminating the constant feeling of hunger, and satiates the patient with less food.

When the patient notices the remarkable weight loss, his life begins to change from laziness to activity, from joint pain to no pain, from lack of self-confidence to strong self-confidence and love to go out and be among people and get rid of loneliness and depression.

But what after losing excess weight and getting rid of obesity, and reaching the ideal weight, can the increase in weight return again and life return to inactivity after vitality and activity?

Sleeve gastrectomy and all the various bariatric surgeries guarantee that you will not return to the increase in weight as long as you follow the instructions and advice of your specialist surgeon. The small stomach size can never change its size and reach what it was before unless you do it yourself, away from the instructions and advice of the specialist doctor. Even after pregnancy and childbirth, there is no worry about going back to weight gain. Your commitment to all the instructions will protect you from returning to that weight. The bariatric surgery will make your pregnancy safe and your motherhood accompanied by ideal body weight and good health.

Bariatric surgeries have brought a breakthrough in the world of general surgeries because of their proven success in losing excess weight and getting rid of obesity. Many women and men have resorted to it because they suffer from the associated overweight diseases, such as heart diseases, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, back and joint pain, and many other diseases that, if underestimated, can sometimes lead to death. So bariatric surgeries appeared as a lifeline to save everyone who is suffering from these serious diseases as a result of obesity and excess weight.

The question that confuses all who want to make the right decision to get rid of obesity remains. Are there different types of bariatric surgeries, and if any, what is the difference between them, and on what basis is the choice of suitable bariatric surgery for me and others who suffer from being overweight?

The answer is easy and simple. Of course, there are different types of safe bariatric surgeries. That is the secret of the success of these surgeries because they are designed to suit every person who suffers from being overweight to get rid of this disease, lose excess weight and reach the ideal weight healthily and safely. Here are the different types of bariatric surgeries:

Gastric sleeve surgery is one of the most popular and common bariatric surgeries. It is the appropriate surgery for every patient who suffers from being overweight due to constant hunger and eating large quantities of food to fill the large stomach, hoping to feel full.

In gastric sleeve surgery, Dr. Mohamed Abo El Naga cuts a large part of the stomach, about 80% of the size of the stomach, which contains the hormone responsible for feeling hungry. Therefore the patient feels full quickly after eating a small amount of food, and the weight begins to decrease gradually. The Gastric Sleeve surgery is suitable for those who are constantly hungry and eat large quantities of food that leads to rapid weight gain.

Gastric Bypass is one of the impressive bariatric surgeries, it has proven its success in eliminating type 2 diabetes, in addition to losing excess weight. So it is the appropriate surgery for type 2 diabetic patients and obese patients who do not have the will or ability to give up sweets.

Gastric Bypass is characterized by a reduction in the amount of food absorbed, especially sugars and carbohydrates, and thus helps to lose weight quickly and safely with the ability to reduce the blood glucose level. After Gastric Bypass, the recovery rate from type 2 diabetes can be as high as 98%, which is a very large percentage that gives hope to the obese type 2 diabetic patients to live a better and healthy life.

SASI surgery is one of the most recent safe bariatric surgeries, also called Binary Division, as it is characterized by combining the advantages of Gastric Sleeve surgery and Gastric Bypass surgery. SASI surgery is characterized by a quick and safe drop in weight and does not need to take vitamins for a long time after the surgery.

Sport is one of the main factors in obtaining harmonious beauty after bariatric surgery. But first, we have to talk about the role of bariatric surgery and the key factors that play a major role in getting rid of obesity.

We may find that a lot of people have the wrong belief that only bariatric surgery step can get rid of the excess weight and accumulated fat. However, doctors emphasize that the surgical step is one of the boldest steps taken by obese patients, as the patient must adhere to the doctor's instructions before and after the surgery.

Also, we have to mention the role of bariatric surgery, as it aims to reduce the size of the stomach, and then the patient cannot eat the large quantities that he used to.

From that concept, the patient starts to lose excess weight and accumulated fat, and by following the doctor's instructions, the obese patient reaches the ideal weight easily.

 

- Choosing the surgeon based on his experience, skills, and the opinions of his patients.

- Talking to your surgeon about the appropriate surgery based on your health history.

- The necessity of adhering to the pre-and post-surgical instructions of the surgeon. these instructions include:

* Stop smoking before and after the surgery for a specific period.

* Stop taking medications that increase blood fluidity before surgery.

* Adhere to the gradual schedule of eating after surgery, for post-surgical stomach rehabilitation for solid food.

* Commitment to simple exercises before surgery to activate blood circulation in the body.

* Commitment to exercise after surgery, to prevent the chance of skin sagging, which may appear while getting rid of a lot of accumulated fat and excess weight quickly. Gradual exercising helps the skin restore its elasticity and nature without any sagging.

We, therefore, see the important role of sport in reducing the incidence of skin fatigue and obtaining a slim, harmonious, aesthetic appearance, and free of defects.

Exercise also increases muscle building throughout the body, reducing bodyweight loading on the joints and back. Instead, the weight is loaded on the strength of the newly existing muscles. Thus, the joint and back pain gradually decreases until it is completely gone.

Continuous exercise discharges all the negative energy, so the patient recovers from depression as the serotonin level of the body increases, elevating the sense of satisfaction and happiness.

The exercise also increases the physical effort of the patient and allows him to sleep comfortably without any insomnia or sleeping difficulties.

Continuous practicing improves blood circulation, patient's digestion process and increasing the burning rate, so the rate of losing excess weight and accumulated fats increases.

Obesity and being overweight form a very strong association with depression.

We may find that most obese patients suffer from depression and fear with a lack of self-confidence.

    1. Accumulation of excess fat around the respiratory system, which increases the difficulty of breathing, especially during sleep. And then increases insomnia and the inability to sleep continuously during the night. As a result, the patient feels depressed and stressed permanently.

    2. The accumulation of fat in various parts of the body increases the patient’s weight by many kilograms, and therefore the patient’s appearance changes completely and feels like another person in the mirror.  And the feeling of depression and lack of self-confidence increases.

    3. The accumulation of fat and weight gain significantly increases the burden of loads on joints and bones, and as a result, the patient cannot move freely as a result of joint pains.

    4. loneliness and introversion increase with distance from others, and the natural result of all of the above is depression and sadness.

    5. Repeated failure of the patient to lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercising.

From here, the patient enters the closed circle in which he tries to get rid of excess weight, through following a healthy nutritious diet and exercise. But he cannot continue, and then he feels depressed and tries to get rid of depression by eating too much, and he increases in weight more than the first.

And this closed circle continues to spin until the decision to perform one of the bariatric surgeries that help to get rid of excess weight without any effort or complications.

Bariatric surgery is the first to treat obesity-related depression and, of course, to treat severe obesity.

As all types of obesity surgery include reducing the size of the stomach or diverting the food path inside, and including reducing the amount of food eaten by the patient.

Doctors also confirm that bariatric surgery helps obese patients to recover from all obesity-related diseases such as depression and loneliness, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint, and bone pain, digestive problems and stomach, and weakened immune system.