How did obesity surgery originate?

The first known surgical procedure aimed at reducing body weight was performed in Sweden in 1952 by Victor Henrikson, who resected 105 cms of small bowel in a 32–year old woman. The procedure was unacceptable because of its irreversibility. The first real obesity surgery procedure was the jejuno–ileal by–pass performed by Kremen and Linner in USA in 1954. The operation was very successful for weight loss but was associated with serious side effects including chronic diarrhea, kidney stones, arthritis and major liver disease.

The gastric by–pass was first performed by Edward Mason of the USA in 1967. This operation did away with most of the side effects of earlier operation . However, gastric by–pass is a technically difficult operation and does raise some long term problems like vitamin and mineral deficiency.

In 1971 Edward Mason developed the gastroplasty or gastric stapling operation. It was not popular for several technical reasons. In 1978 a better technique was introduced simultaneously by Michael Long in Melbourne, Australia, and Gomez in USA which came to be accepted widely all over the world. Today gastroplasty in one of its forms is the most commonly performed obesity operation.

In 1976, a bilio–pancreatic bypass was developed by Nicola Scopinaro which became popular in Europe and some centers in USA, but it has the disadvantage of being a very major surgery. In 1980, the trend was towards using gastric balloons but they proved to be expensive and unsuccessful.

In 1982 Andrew Jamieson, Melbourne, Australia, started practicing the technique adopted by Michael Long. He further modified it by reducing the size of the gastric pouch.

Later, the gastric banding technique was introduced by Lubomyr Kuzmak. It is an excellent operation with the obvious advantage being its adjustability and it can be performed endoscopically.

What is gall bladder?

A gall bladder is an organ attached to the underside of your liver. It stores bile produced in the liver and releases it into the small intestine when fatty foods are eaten. Bile helps the body break down fatty food, aiding in the digestive process.

Sometimes gall bladders can become diseased, or gallstones may form. Gallstones, which are crystallized bile, are the result of chemical imbalances. While some gallstones have no noticeable symptoms, more often they are the cause of pain and other problems.

Are you a candidate for Lap Chole?

Most patients with gallbladder disease can be treated with the lap chole procedure; however, a thorough evaluation by your physician and a surgeon trained in laparoscopy is the best way to determine whether the procedure is right for you.

What is a Hernia?

An abnormal opening in the inner layer of the muscular wall of the abdomen. This muscular wall supports internal organs, as any weakness or hole in this area can result in a protrusion of the internal organs that can be seen or felt.

The most common hernia is the inguinal, or groin hernia. An inguinal hernia occurs in the extreme lower part of the abdomen and can be found in males and females of any age. However, because of anatomical differences, it occurs most often in males.

Hernias may cause no symptoms, allowing some people to live with their hernias for years. More commonly, hernias may produce a dull aching sensation or an occasional sharp pain. Other symptoms may include nausea, constipation, or a sense of fullness. Once an inguinal hernia occurs, it cannot heal itself; in fact, left untreated it can get larger and lead to other complications (like bowel obstruction) Surgery is the only way to repair the hernia.