Gastric Bypass: Health Story

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, September 10 and December 17, 2005
Show 224

"I was so heavy that my joints hurt even to do just a little exercise. I couldn't participate in life. I knew I had to do something," says Kathleen Carscadden, a gastric bypass patient. Nearly 100,000 people have weight-loss surgery a year. "Surgery was the tool I needed to get the weight off and develop lifestyle changes," says Kathleen, now 120 pounds lighter.

"After surgery, you have to eat more nutritiously because the stomach is smaller," says Dr. Terry Simpson, bariatric surgeon and author. Fried and sugary foods and carbonated drinks will not be digested well and can make patients sick. Anemia can also be a threat.

"Patients can't rely on surgery to give them willpower or the strength to make good choices," says Dr. James Swain, assistant professor of surgery at Mayo Clinic. "Gastric bypass has a small chance of problems, but the severity of the problems is high," he says.

"My goal is to stay healthy and keep exercising and incorporate changes for the rest of my life," says Kathleen.