Archived material from the LABS study participant website (via web.archive.org, snapshot of 2012-08-25). Historical document — links and contacts may be outdated.

LABS Newsletter Bonus Material – Summer 2012

In the latest issue of the LABS newsletter, Dr. Walter Pories offers participants some guidance on problems you may face after surgery and when it’s time to call a surgeon for follow-up care.

Our coordinators report that many of you have questions about life after surgery, while we were only able to include one of them in this newsletter, here are some additional questions:

Question: I feel fine without taking vitamins and minerals. So, why is it important that I take them?

Answer: Patients who have bariatric surgery often suffer from malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Not getting enough nutrients can lead to chronic diarrhea, bloating, and fatigue, Even if you feel fine, we still recommend that you take a multivitamin daily.

Question: Can I get pregnant after bariatric surgery?

Answer: Many obese women often suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which prevents them from conceiving. Historically, surgeons have seen that the syndrome appears to resolve after surgery, allowing women who previously experienced difficulty conceiving to now become pregnancy. The LABS study plans to report on long-term fertility rates after surgery to give females who are considering the surgery a more accurate picture of what is possible. If you have had a pregnancy since surgery, we hope that you will share that information with your coordinator.

Question: What have we learned so far about weight-loss surgery?

Answer: Among other things, we have learned that weight loss surgery is safer than once believed and that there is a connection between body mass index (BMI) and other surgical risk factors. More recently, we have found that there is an increased risk of alcohol abuse after surgery.