Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and healthy. Unfortunately, many find it difficult to lose this weight after the baby is born. For women who were considerably overweight before pregnancy, post-partum weight loss can be even more difficult to achieve. The reasons for this are both biological and environmental. For women with a BMI of more than 40, keeping up with a new baby can be exhausting and frustrating.
For obese women with a BMI of 35 and greater, bariatric surgery can offer a safe and rapid solution to achieve a healthy weight and avoid obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and even elevated cancer risk. And when mom maintains a healthy weight, the whole family benefits; a recent study shows that a family member who undergoes weight loss surgery may have a healthy effect on the whole family and help offset childhood obesity. The obesity rate in children with mothers who have had gastric bypass is 52 percent lower after surgery.
One of my patients, a registered nurse and mother Karen Fabiny, of New Egypt, NJ, had minimally invasive gastric sleeve weight loss surgery and lost more than 130 pounds in a year. She says, “There were a number of factors that lead to my decision to have weight loss surgery. I added more weight with every baby and since my family also had a long history of obesity, I decided it was time to take care of myself. And now, my life has changed, that’s for sure. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.”
Dr. Sowemimo is a board-certified, fellowship-trained, advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgeon. He is the medical director of Prime Surgicare and partner at Central Jersey Bariatrics, with offices in Freehold and Holmdel, NJ. He can be reached by calling (732) 637 – 6370.
Hernia—the word alone is enough to send chills down your spine because they usually result in a painful condition requiring surgical repair. They also cause anxiety because symptoms can on suddenly and be confused with more serious medical conditions. Hernias will not just go away with medication or time?prompt medical care is required.While there are several types of hernias, ventral, also called incisional hernias, appear at the site of a previous surgical incision.
Post-operative scar tissue can stretch or thin out after surgery, leading to weak spots in the abdomen due to straining during bowel movements, intense or recurrent coughing, weight gain, pregnancy, vomiting, or strenuous physical activity such as weightlifting. These make the abdominal wall more susceptible to strain and hernia. While they may not necessarily be painful, prompt treatment is necessary before the condition worsens.
Hernia Symptoms
How do you know if you’ve developed one of these irritating conditions? Other than a dull ache, nausea, constipation and vomiting, look for a bulge around the navel, groin, or any place where you have had a surgical incision. The protuberance may disappear when you lie down and be prominent when you stand. A strangulated hernia is a serious condition where the hernia restricts blood flow to the protruding organ, requiring emergency surgery to avoid the loss of the affected organ. The bigger the hernia, the bigger the operation will be to fix it. Therefore, report symptoms to your physician immediately.
While the last thing you may want to do after a surgical complication is undergo to more surgery, advancements in laparoscopy allow quicker recovery, shorter hospital stays, less pain and significantly reduced risk of infection. Most importantly, there is a greater guarantee that the laparoscopic approach will rid you of the hernia permanently.
Hernia Repair Surgery
After you are treated with general, spinal or local anesthesia, your laparoscopic surgeon will use a tiny telescope with a television camera attached to perform the hernia repair. The surgeon makes a small incision in your abdomen, carefully avoiding organs and scar tissue from prior surgery. He inserts the camera, or laparoscope, through a small hollow tube. The laparoscope allows him to view the hernia from the inside, which means three good things for the patient: smaller incisions, less healing time and a more positive surgical outcome. The surgeon will use surgical mesh to reinforce the weakened abdominal wall and help prevent the hernia from recurring.
You can expect to be home within 24 hours of your laparoscopic ventral hernia repair—markedly quicker than traditional open surgery. As with any operation, an experienced advanced surgical specialist will help ensure an optimal outcome.
When it comes to your health, choose a surgeon that will provide the least invasive solution, so you can get back to your life as quickly as possible.
About Dr. Seun Sowemimo
“Dr. Seun” is a board certified, fellowship-trained advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgeon with vast expertise performing the safest, most advanced laparoscopic and general surgical operations. To learn more about ventral hernia surgery, Dr. Seun discusses the procedure here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMB50yFFLEor call Prime Surgicare at (732) 637-6370.
I was able to sneak out of this office to be a guest on News12′s “To Your Health” program hosted by Dr. Derrick DeSilva. I was invited to talk about sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve), a minimally invasive surgical weight loss procedure. Karen Fabiny, RN, my colleague at CentraState Medical Center and also my patient, joined me to share her firsthand experience with gastric sleeve (she has dropped more than 130 pounds!).
The team at News 12 could not have been more accommodating and I can say that Karen and I both had a great time.
Watch the clip here
Let me know if you think I should move to Hollywood
We welcome you and supportive friends and family members to attend our Information Seminar on:
Wednesday, February 1, at 7 p.m.
This informative event will be hosted by board certified, fellowship-trained laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Seun Sowemimo, FACS, medical director, Prime Surgicare. During this informal session, you will learn more about weight loss surgery and have an opportunity to ask questions and make an appointment for a consultation. One of Dr. Sowemimo’s patients will also share her story of weight loss struggle and how she won the battle after gastric bypass surgery last year.
Kellie describes how having weight loss surgery has impacted her life in just 6 months. She describes the improvement in her quality of life, resolution of high blood pressure, fibromyalgia and improvement of osteoarthritis
James Langan, a 60-year-old retired maintenance supervisor, was looking forward to having his weight loss surgery performed by Dr. Seun Sowemimo. He initially attended the doctor’s weight loss surgery Informational Seminar to learn more about the different surgical procedures available and ask questions about the process. James attended the seminar with his sister-in-law, Joanne, head nurse in the Surgery department of an orthopedic group, whom he refers to as the ‘family doctor’. “Even she was impressed with Dr. Seun and agreed with his assessment that the gastric sleeve procedure was the way to go in my situation,” James recalls.
An unexpected roadblock
Prior to surgery, the Sayreville resident underwent routine testing to ensure he was a suitable candidate for the sleeve procedure. But during a colonoscopy, a mass on right side of James’ colon was discovered. James says Dr. Seun took immediate control of the serious diagnosis and simply told him “we would resolve this issue first and then get back to the weight loss surgery.” Dr. Seun recommended James get a second opinion from another surgeon before even discussing what action to take. “That really earned my confidence,” James says.
James did so and the second surgeon confirmed Dr. Seun’s diagnosis?stage one colon cancer. Fortunately, the cancer was in the early stages and had not penetrated any muscle. One week later, Dr. Seun laparoscopically removed all of the cancerous tumor in the colon at CentraState Medical Center.
Moving forward
“The incisions from my minimally invasive surgery were tiny—maybe two inches long. I previously had a knee replacement and surgery to remove an aneurism. But this time, I didn’t have to deal with weeks and weeks of recovery from general surgery.” James was only on pain medication for a day and a half after his colon surgery and says his scars are almost completely gone today. One month later, cancer free, James was finally ready to move forward with his bariatric sleeve surgery, which was performed without any complications.
Today, James has lost 76 pounds in less than three months and has alleviated the need for several medications for previous health conditions related to his obesity; He no longer needs any medication for high blood pressure. He found Dr. Seun’s calm and patient demeanor along with the non-stop support of Julie Parrott, RD, the Prime Surgicare nutritionist, pivotal to his rapid weight loss. To prepare him for surgery, James underwent a liquid protein diet to eliminate meals and caloric intake prior to surgery and prepare him for the liquid diet he would consume for a few weeks after surgery. “This helped tremendously during my first week of recovery,” said James.
James laughs and says that, unfortunately, he deems himself an expert in the world of surgery, after undergoing three major procedures in additional to his bariatric surgery. “Dr. Seun is not a hit-and-run doctor. He is always there to answer your questions, very down to earth, and speaks to you on your level. I recommend him 100% to anyone who may be facing surgery.”
Dr. Seun Sowemimo, Tony and Julie Parrott, MS, RD, LD.
A huge “thank you” goes out to our patient, Tony Paulino, who spoke last night at our weight loss surgery New Patient Information Session at CentraState Medical Center. In nine months, Tony has lost 160 pounds after undergoing the gastric sleeve procedure. She also shared her before / after driver’s license photos which brought gasps to the audience!
Appendicitis can be a challenging condition to diagnose because abdominal pain can arise from a number of health problems. Symptoms can include consistent and worsening pain in the lower right abdomen and gastrointestinal problems (vomiting, constipation, diarrhea). See your family doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. The doctor will diagnose the condition by applying gentle pressure on the painful area. When the pressure is suddenly released, appendicitis pain will often feel worse, signaling that the adjacent peritoneum is inflamed. Other signs your doctor may watch for include abdominal rigidity and a tendency to stiffen your abdominal muscles in response to pressure over the inflamed appendix (guarding).
Minimally Invasive Surgical Benefits
If appendicitis is confirmed after blood, urine and ultrasound testing, the appendix can be surgically removed laparoscopically, using tiny incisions allowing for less pain, less blood loss, lower risk of infection and barely visible scars. But is this procedure really as safe and effective as a traditional “open” appendectomy? The answer is yes.
Laparoscopic appendectomy is performed by inserting small cameras and surgical instruments via small incisions in the abdomen. While the hospital stay is usually two to five days for an “open” or traditional procedure, laparoscopic patients can expect to be discharged within just 24 to 36 hours. Additionally, traditional appendectomy patients end up with a scar at least two to four inches long requiring up to six weeks of recovery time before resuming work and other normal activities.
But laparoscopic surgery isn’t appropriate for everyone. If your appendix has ruptured (burst inside the abdomen) and infection has spread beyond the appendix or if an abscess is present, you may require an open appendectomy. An open appendectomy allows your surgeon to safely clean the abdominal cavity and prevent the infection from causing additional health problems.
Worsening Stomach Pain? Call Your Doctor
Most importantly, if you experience consistent or worsening abdominal pain don’t wait to see your doctor. A ruptured appendix is a more serious and complex condition to address and your recovery time will be significantly increased as a result.
Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and general surgeon. He is the medical director at Prime Surgicare and Central Jersey Bariatrics. If you are facing a routine or complex surgical procedure, call (732) 637 – 6370 to set up a consultation with Dr. Sowemimo (Dr. Seun).
Kellie’s life has taken a dramatically different turn now that she has dropped 135 pounds since April 2011. She’s also left behind the high blood pressure (200 / 120), fibromyalgia, borderline diabetes and reduced her osteoarthritis. Looking for inspiration to move foward with your weight loss goal? Watch Kellie tell her inspiring story
