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Gastric Bypass Surgery: Post-Operative Care with IV Nutrient Th
Nov 17, 2011
I came across this great article. I posted earlier when I found a local Naturopathic Doctor and I started myself doing IV Nutrient Injection Therapy after gastric bypass surgery and getting great results. It’s great to see health care professionals out there recognizing the need and writing articles such as this.
Gastric Bypass Surgery: Post-Operative Care with IV Nutrient Therapy and Injection Nutrient Therapy
By DR. Susan Williamson, NMD
With the rise of obesity in the U.S., more patients are turning to gastric bypass surgery to produce fast and dramatic weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, gastric bypass surgery is the most popular weight loss surgery in the United States. With gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is made smaller by reducing it to a thumb-sized pouch (15-30 mL or 1-2 tablespoons in volume), which considerably restricts the amount of food that can be eaten, as well as provide less surface area for the absorption of vitamins and minerals from food. In addition to this, the amount of hydrochloric acid (needed to absorb calcium and iron) and intrinsic factor (needed to absorb vitamin B12) produced by the stomach is greatly reduced due to its size, which also contributes to nutrient deficiencies. In addition to this, the duodenum, a major area of nutrient absorption within the intestinal tract may be bypassed depending on the type of procedure performed, further contributing to nutrient deficiencies.
Common symptoms of nutritional deficiencies are:
fatigue and weakness
hair loss and/or dry brittle hair
thin and brittle fingernails
difficulty thinking/concentrating
thinning of the skin/dry skin
softening/weakening of the bones (osteopenia/osteoporosis)
bone pain and bone deformities
muscle spasms
tooth discoloration and increased susceptibility to tooth decay
bleeding gums
increased tendency to bruise and bleed
anemia
sleep disturbances
neurological problems
pins and needles sensations in the body
permanent nerve damage
diarrhea
skin disorders
sore or swollen tongue
cracks at the edges of the mouth
swelling, usually in the legs
dehydration
decreased immune system strength, making an individual more prone to infections
Some nutrient deficiencies, if allowed to progress, can result in serious life threatening complications, so it is very important for gastric bypass patients to continue supplementing with nutrients and the best way to do this is via intravenous administration where the digestive tract is not a factor in the absorption of nutrients. With IV nutrient therapy, high doses of vitamins and minerals (much higher than what can be taken orally) can be delivered straight to the bloodstream where they are readily available to the cells for absorption and use by the body. People who have had gastric bypass surgery may also benefit from having specialty testing done at Bodhi Body Integrative Medical Centers to detect their specific nutrient deficiencies so that their particular nutrient deficiencies can be detected and therefore appropriately treated.
Common deficiencies of the fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, and K) are common and these can be supplemented via intramuscular injection. Patients are at risk for developing anemia secondary to deficiencies of iron, Vitamin B12, and folate, all of which can be replenished easily via injection or IV. Calcium is a common nutrient deficiency as well due to the decreased stomach acid production in the reduced sized stomach. It is unknown whether gastric bypass patients can absorb the micronutrients selenium, zinc, and chromium, however these are included in the nutritional IVs as well as vitamin C, B12, B complex, B6, folate, calcium, magnesium, and electrolytes. Another benefit of the nutrient IVs is treatment of dehydration, which is another common symptom many suffer after gastric bypass surgery.
Patients who have nutrient deficiencies usually notice an immediate effect of feeling better after receiving a nutrient IV. If you or someone you know has had gastric bypass surgery then please contact Bodhi Body Integrative Medical Centers today so that we may assist you in replenishing your body’s nutrients and help prevent serious complications from developing and progressing. Taking oral vitamins and minerals will help some with nutrient deficiencies, however the severe deficiency that normally results after gastric bypass surgery is best treated with intravenous nutrients where gut absorption is not a factor and 100% of the nutrients is absorbed and available to the body.
