Weight
Loss
Surgery
Glossary
of
Terms
American
Board
of
Surgery
This
is
the
official
certifying
agency
for
American
surgeons.
A
surgeon
who
is
"Board
Certified"
has
completed
a
recognized
residency
program
in
general
surgery
and
passed
extremely
rigorous
written
and
oral
exams.
Surgeons
who
have
recently
graduated
from
residency
or
fellowship
programs
are
usually
"Board
Eligible,"
meaning
they
are
eligible
to
take
the
Board
certifying
exam.
You
can
find
out
more
about
the
Board
at
their
web
site:
www.absurgery.org
American
Society
for
Bariatric
Surgery
This
is
the
largest
bariatric
surgery
society
in
the
world.
It
was
created
in
1983
to
"advance
the
art
and
science
of
bariatric
surgery."
Most
surgeons
who
have
committed
a
major
portion
of
their
practice
to
weight
loss
(bariatric)
surgery
are
members
of
this
society.
You
can
learn
more
about
the
society
at
their
web
site:
www.asbs.org
Atelectasis
Incomplete
expansion
of
the
lung.
This
is
very
common
after
abdominal
surgery
and
is
one
of
the
most
common
sources
of
fever
in
the
immediate
postoperative
period.
Bariatric
Surgery
The
word
"bariatric"
comes
from
the
Greek
word
baros,
meaning
weight.
Bariatric
surgery
is
another
word
for
weight
loss
surgery,
which
is
surgery
designed
to
treat
severe
obesity.
Body
Mass
Index
Also
called
BMI.
It is
equal
to
your
weight
(in
kilograms)
divided
by
the
square
of
your
height
(in
meters).
You
can
figure
out
your
BMI
using
the
BMI
Calculator
at
this
web
site.
BiPAP
An
abbreviation
for A
BiPAP
machine
is a
breathing
assist
device
which
is
worn
over
the
mouth
or
nose.
It
provides
nighttime
relief
for
individuals
who
suffer
from
Sleep
Apnea.
See
also
CPAP.
CPAP
An
abbreviation
for
Constant
Positive
Airway
Pressure.
A
CPAP
machine
is a
breathing
assist
device
which
is
worn
over
the
mouth
or
nose.
It
provides
nighttime
relief
for
individuals
who
suffer
from
Sleep
Apnea.
See
also
BiPAP.
Deep
Vein
Thrombosis
(Also
called
DVT)
This
is
another
name
for
blood
clots
that
form
in
the
deep
veins
of
the
legs
and
pelvis.
People
recovering
from
abdominal
surgery
are
at
increased
risk
for
these
clots,
as
are
overweight
individuals.
Diabetes
High
blood
sugar.
Also
called
diabetes
mellitus.
Diabetes
can
occur
when
your
body
doesn't
make
enough
insulin
to
keep
your
blood
sugar
controlled.
This
is
called
Type
I
diabetes.
In
overweight
individuals,
diabetes
is
often
caused
by
insulin
resistance,
where
insulin
levels
may
be
elevated,
but
the
body's
tissues
are
resistant
to
its
effects.
This
is
also
known
as
Type
II
diabetes.
Dumping
Syndrome
This
occurs
to
gastric
bypass
patients
after
eating
sweets
or
carbohydrates.
They
may
feel
queasy
and
sweaty,
and
may
suffer
from
diarrhea
afterward.
This
is an
intentional
side-effect
of
the
operation
which
has
been
called
the "postop
police
officer,"
since
it
discourages
sweet
eating,
and
encourages
weight
loss.
Gastric
Banding
A
restrictive
operation
in
which
a
plastic
band
is
placed
around
the
upper
portion
of
the
stomach.
Recently,
adjustable
gastric
bands
have
become
available
that
can
be
placed
laparoscopically.
Gastric
Bypass
Also
called
the
"Roux-en-Y
Gastric
Bypass."
This
operation
is
considered
by
many
to
represent
the
"gold
standard"
weight
loss
operation.
It
involves
the
creation
of a
small
stomach
pouch
which
is
connected
to a
Y-shaped
limb
of
small
intestine.
It
causes
weight
loss
through
a
combination
of
restriction,
malabsorption,
and
dumping
syndrome.
Heart
Disease
Heart
disease
takes
many
forms.
Usually,
heart
disease
occurs
due
to
inadequate
blood
flow
to
the
hear
muscle.
This
occurs
when
the
arteries
that
supply
the
heart
muscle
(the
coronary
arteries)
become
partially
or
completely
blocked.
Obese
people
are
at
increased
risk
of
heart
disease
due
to
their
higher
rates
of
hypercholesterolemia,
diabetes
and
hypertension.
Hypercholesterolemia
The
medical
term
for
high
blood
cholesterol.
Many
patients
find
that
their
blood
cholesterol
decreases
significantly
after
weight
loss
surgery.
Hypertension
The
medical
term
for
high
blood
pressure.
Hypertension
is
associated
with
severe
obesity.
Many
individuals
requiring
medication
for
hypertension
are
able
to
decrease
or
eliminate
these
medicines
after
surgically-assisted
weight
loss.
Incentive
Spirometry
After
surgery,
you
will
be
given
a
small
plastic
device
with
a
flexible
hose
attached
to it
(kind
of
like
a
snorkel).
The
nurses
will
teach
you
how
to
suck
air
in
through
the
device
to
exercise
your
lungs.
This
will
help
you
to
avoid
atelectasis
and
pneumonia
following
surgery.
You
should
take
you
incentive
spirometer
home
with
you,
so
that
you
can
continue
your
breathing
exercises
at
home.
Incisional
Hernia
When
an
abdominal
incision
does
not
heal
properly,
a
defect
in
the
fascia
(the
strong
tissues
that
surround
the
abdominal
muscles)
may
form.
The
intestine,
or
other
abdominal
organs,
may
then
protrude
through
this
defect.
This
may
cause
pain
or
discomfort,
in
addition
to a
visible
bulge.
If
the
intestines
become
stuck
in
the
hernia,
this
is
called
an
incarcerated
hernia.
If
the
edges
of
the
hernia
squeeze
the
blood
supply
to
the
intestine,
the
intestine
can
become
strangulated;
this
is a
surgical
emergency!
Laparoscope
A
narrow
surgical
telescope,
usually
5 mm
(1/4")
to 10
mm
(1/2")
in
diameter,
that
can
be
inserted
into
the
abdomen
through
a
very
small
incision.
A
small
video
camera
is
usually
attached
to
the
outer
end
of
the
scope,
so
that
the
image
may
be
viewed
on a
TV
monitor.
Laparoscopic
Surgery
Surgery
performed
through
multiple
small
incisions
(1/4"
to
1/2"
long)
using
specially-designed
surgical
instruments
and
viewed
through
a
laparoscope,
or
surgical
telescope.
Malabsorptive
Procedure
An
operation,
such
as
the
biliopancreatic
diversion,
which
causes
weight
loss
by
decreasing
the
number
of
calories
your
body
absorbs
from
the
food
you
eat.
Different
procedures
may
cause
varying
malabsorption
of
fats,
carbohydrates,
and
protein.
Open
Surgery
Surgery
done
through
a
large
incision
in
the
abdominal
wall,
using
traditional
surgical
instruments.
In
heavy
patients,
these
large
incisions
are
at
risk
of
infection
and
hernia
formation.
Pneumonia
Infection
in
the
lung.
Patients
who
are
recovering
from
abdominal
surgery
are
at
risk
for
this
problem.
Walking,
and
the
use
of
incentive
spirometry,
can
substantially
reduce
this
risk.
Restrictive
Procedure
A
weight-loss
procedure
which
works
primarily
by
decreasing
the
functional
size
of
the
stomach.
This
decreases
the
amount
of
food
which
can
be
eaten
at
one
time.
Examples
include
gastric
banding
and
vertical-banded
gastroplasty
(VBG).
The
LAP-BAND®
is
the
newest
purely
restrictive
procedure.
Sleep
Apnea
Apnea
is
the
medical
term
for
"stopping
breathing."
Many
obese
people
have
difficulty
breathing
when
they
sleep.
The
fatty
tissues
in
the
pharynx
and
neck
can
compress
the
airway
and
block
it.
When
this
occurs,
the
body's
carbon
dioxide
levels
rise
to
uncomfortable
and
unsafe
levels.
This
may
cause
you
to
wake
up
many
times
throughout
the
night.
For
this
reason,
patients
with
sleep
apnea
sleep
very
poorly,
and
wake
up in
the
morning
still
feeling
tired.
They
remain
tired
throughout
the
day,
sometimes
falling
asleep
in
the
middle
of a
conversation
or
while
driving.
Sleep
apnea
may
be
relieved
by
using
a
CPAP
or
BiPAP
device
at
night.
These
are
breathing
assist
devices
that
are
worn
over
the
face
to
help
with
breathing
at
night
time.
After
weight
loss
surgery,
sleep
apnea
usually
gets
much
better.
Most
patients
who
needed
to
use
CPAP
or
BiPAP
machines
before
surgery
are
able
to
stop
using
them
within
several
months
after
surgery.
Vertical-Banded
Gastroplasty
This
procedure,
also
known
as
VBG,
involves
the
creation
of a
vertical
pouch
in
the
upper
stomach.
While
it is
a
safe
procedure,
the
amount
of
weight
loss
achieved
is
typically
less
than
that
of
other
procedures
such
as
gastric
bypass
or
biliopancreatic
diversion
with
duodenal
switch.
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