OBGYN.net Broadcasting presents Part V of a series of presentations on Weight Loss Surgery. This project is unique in that we follow the patient from pre-op to one year post-op.
Dr. Mark Smith: "We've just finished the surgery with Dr. Weiner, and we're also honored to have with us the Chairman of the Department of Surgery. I'd like Dr. Weiner to make a quick follow-up on the surgery and then some words from you your Chairman in allowing us to use your hospital, a very generous gesture and a very nice institution."
Dr. Weiner: "It was a good procedure with our own new technique that we have performed for two years with very high placement of the band and safe suturing to prevent slippage. The patient will have no problems and will stand up and walk around this afternoon, and she can drink tomorrow morning. We think in one year she will lose 40 kilograms and the next year another 20-30 kilograms, and after two years she will be a normal person."
Professor Brokehorn: "I think it was a very good operation, and I think the patient will be able to leave the hospital in two to three days and go back to the states very happy."
Dr. Mark Smith: "Thank you very much."
Dr. Weiner: "The problems in obese patients is really for us is to get a good oxygen saturation and the way that patients are positioned with their head up and with pressure on the lungs, you mostly have a poor oxygen saturation and the CO2 rises pretty high. So we use high volumes, a higher frequency than normal, and in between we check to see if we are doing good with the oxygen. At least twice we do an arterial blood gas so this way we definitely know. But I have seen patients where you really had to change the respirator a lot, meaning the value between inspiration and expiration had to be changed but I've never seen anybody where at the end you could not extubate after the intubation. Sometimes it gives you a lot of worries in between but all the patients we do here could be extubated after the operation. That's about it, and as long as you look on these figures, then everything is okay."
Dr. Mark Smith: "Thank you."
At this time, three years post-op, Roberta is satisfied with the outcome of her surgery and hopes you have found her story helpful in your search for answers. Please direct any questions about LAP BAND surgery to your personal physician, or email the product makers directly at: http://www.inamed.com/contact/bio_patient.cgi. Due to time restraints Roberta Speyer and the OBGYN.net team cannot respond to personal emails. See Professor Rudolf Weiner's website about Weight Loss Surgery to see if this option is right for you. Visit www.profweiner.com.