Gastric Bypass Surgery: Everything You Need to Know to Make an Informed Decision [Paperback]

Mary McGowan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2004

Some 22 million Americans are morbidly obese. For many of them, gastric bypass surgery appears to offer the only hope of long-term weight loss. Once viewed as a radical weight-loss alternative, the surgery is becoming increasingly popular. In 2002, more than 100,000 Americans elected to have the procedure done.

Written by a medical doctor specializing in the field, Gastric Bypass Surgery is the first comprehensive book to explain and discuss the benefits and risks of the procedure. Presented in a handy question-and-answer format, the book addresses everything from candidacy for the procedure to technique to recovery to finding a doctor and more. 150 questions and answers are featured.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Is gastric bypass surgery for you? A GBS specialist helps you decide

Like every elective surgery, bariatric (weight-loss) surgery--also known as gastric bypass surgery or GBS--comes with its risks. In Gastric Bypass Surgery, a medical doctor answers all of your questions to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

Mary McGowan, M.D., consults with hundreds of patients each year who are either considering GBS or have already undergone it. In Gastric Bypass Surgery, Dr. McGowan shares her years of experience answering patients' questions to help shed light on every concern you may have about the procedure.

Gastric Bypass Surgery will help answer and ease your concerns about such vital questions as:

• Am I a candidate?
• Which bariatric procedure is right for me?
• What are the potential complications?
• How long will it take to heal?
• How do I maximize weight loss and maintenance?
• What kinds of foods will I be restricted to?
• How do I develop and maintain an exercise program?
• What type of psychological and physical preparation is necessary before and after the procedure?

About the Author

Mary P. McGowan, M.D., helped develop the bariatric surgery program at Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, NH. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and president of the Northeast Cholesterol Foundation. Dr. McGowan has authored numerous professional articles and has been a medical consultant on NBC's "Today."

Jo McGowan Chopra is a writer who specializes in health topics and is a regular columnist for Commonweal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071431926
• ISBN-13: 978-0071431927
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete Information, July 30, 2004

By 

JG - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gastric Bypass Surgery: Everything You Need to Know to Make an Informed Decision (Paperback)

I was extremely disappointed in this book. I have done hours of research on all types of Bariatric surgery and this book is one of the least informative. Gastric Bypass is hown as the magic answer. Easy, simple, and the only way. In reality this is far from the truth. Gastric Bypass is a huge decision for a person to make, and one that should not be made unless the patient is adequately informed.
Specifically the sections covering other surgical options (duodenal switch, gastric banding, etc.) are blatantly biased. While I realize this book is geared toward Gastric Bypass, that is no excuse to give false or incomplete information on other surgeries. Also, the sections on Gastric Bypass itself is very glossed over and makes it seem as though it will be a cure as opposed to a tool for weight loss.
There are so many other informative books out there...this just isn't one of them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative if you know little or nothing about Gastric Bypass, June 29, 2008

By 

G. SHIELDS "SleepDisorders" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gastric Bypass Surgery: Everything You Need to Know to Make an Informed Decision (Paperback)

Very helpful for those who know little or nothing about Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y) surgery. If you're thiking of having it, or have just had it, this book is helpful. If you have already read up on the subject, this book really won't provide any new insight however. *One very valuable aspect of this book, is that it contains "sample letters" to use as a template when writing your insurance company to try and get approval for the surgery, and also when writing an appeal letter after being denied by your insurance company. Those letters make this book worth buying if you need to write such a letter.* As for me, my Surgeon's office wrote the letter so I did not need to worry about it. By the way, if you're reading this, you probably are considering Gastric Bypass surgery.... I had it 02/01/2008 and it is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. I highly recommend it. Yes, I was scared, all surgeries are scarey, but sometimes in life, we need surgery. Did you know that Gastric Bypass surgery CURES Type 2 Diabetes in over 90% of cases? And it cures it within a few weeks after surgery most of the time. In fact, their is an Italian Doctor in the process of researching & developing a "modified version" of this surgery for people who are not overweight, but have Type 2 Diabetes, so that the surgery can cure them! That is amazing! A cure for Diabetes! The Italian Doctor discovered it is not (only) the weight loss that cures the Diabetes, because most people are cured within a few weeks after surgery, (and of course they haven't lost a huge amount of weight by that time). What it is, is what they do to the small intestine. Modifying the small intestine causes a reversal of Type 2 Diabetes!!!! Best wishes!

5.0 out of 5 stars Gastric Bypass Surgery, September 6, 2008

By 

Lynda L. Bates - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gastric Bypass Surgery: Everything You Need to Know to Make an Informed Decision (Paperback)

It answered all my concerns and questions. A great book spoken in simple language.