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Bariatric Surgery/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Molina banding | 2/3/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: In, I think the band is trying to migrate in. pain the 80's I had gastric banding surgery by ... A: Anita, The Molina type of band is definitely susceptible to erosion. I see that you currently live ... | ||
| Lab tests | 2/2/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I had Gastric bypass 4 yrs ago. My PCP does not run a complete list of lab work. I would like every ... A: Jen, It is great that you are researching to learn what you need in order to maintain optimal ... | ||
| Lab work? | 2/1/2012 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: I had RNY 4 yrs ago this May. I never have had a complete list of bloodwork that 99 % other RNY ... A: This is vitaladys lab list. She's considered an expert on obesityhelp -- great site ... | ||
| Gastric Bypass Approval With Bi-Polar Disorder | 1/31/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: 2012 to get approved I'm a little worried I'm 5'2 and i weight 215 pounds some days I'm at 218, i ... A: Samantha, Based on the information that you've provided, it certainly is reasonable to be looking at ... | ||
| Gastric sleeve with hiatal hernia repair | 1/29/2012 | Julia K |
| Q: Everytime I go to the doctor, whatever I have is caused by myself being overweight. I have struggled ... A: You will likely have to do some more research on your own, but perhaps you have already started. ... | ||
| VSG and RA | 1/27/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am 37 years old and I was just diagnosed with RA. I have been considering having VSG for the last ... A: Shawn, First of all, you are absolutely correct that surgical weight loss will lead to a significant ... | ||
| Ulcers | 1/23/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am post op R&Y 5 and a half years. Right after surgery I developed an ulcer not from the surgery ... A: Kris, I regret that I have not previously encountered ulcers at the junction of the esophagus and ... | ||
| OHIP qualification & referal | 1/19/2012 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: I think I meet OHIP's requirements for bariatric surgery and I think that a surgeon would choose a ... A: Dr glazer is an internist. He is the doctor who most goes over your case history. He would follow ... | ||
| OHIP qualification & referal | 1/18/2012 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: I think I meet OHIP's requirements for bariatric surgery and I think that a surgeon would choose a ... A: You definitely have extenuating circumstances which would make you possibly go through more hoops ... | ||
| Which surgery would a surgeon choose? | 1/18/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am 5'6'' and 314 lbs, and I have been unsuccessful in losing weight throughout my life. ... A: Jennifer, I have a lot of respect for the careful research that you are conducting. In my prior ... | ||
| Which surgery would a surgeon choose? | 1/17/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am 5'6'' and 314 lbs, and I have been unsuccessful in losing weight throughout my life. ... A: Jennifer, I think it is REALLY important for each patient to have a positive sense of conviction ... | ||
| Would I be considered "mentally stable" enough for bariatric surgery? | 1/16/2012 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am 5'6'' and 314 lbs, and I have been unsuccessful in losing weight throughout my life. ... A: Jennifer, I think it is great that you are doing all this research and that you are taking action to ... | ||
| long term effects | 12/17/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: Dr. Pilcher, i am in the very early stages of pursuing bariatric surgery as I live in Ontario and my ... A: Vee, This is a smart question that you are asking. First, the main reason that we leave the lower ... | ||
| Leak Test | 12/17/2011 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: my doctor recently registered me for bariatric surgery in Ontario and his office told me it would be ... A: Surgeons do a standard leak test when inside you but seem to do the second one sometimes - perhaps ... | ||
| GBS AND ACID REFLUX | 12/16/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I had Gbs w/r-y, I have had acid reflux severely and when I went back to the doctor who did my ... A: Brenda, You are describing a really challenging situation. You did not specifically write it in your ... | ||
| Weight Loss | 12/7/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: I am 31 years Male from India. My Height is 185 Cms (6 Feet & 1 Inch) & my Weight is 108 Kgs. I am ... A: Your BMI is only 31.6, which is just barely in the obese category. I wish there was an effective ... | ||
| Weight gain | 11/30/2011 | Steven West |
| Q: I am 3 1/2 years after surgery, I have had problems, blocked bile ducts by stones left behind back ... A: As your bariatric physician likely told you, the surgery only serves as a tool to help remind you ... | ||
| revision | 11/19/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: i had gastric bypass in 2005 i weighed 220 at the time lost to 149 now i weigh 270 and have sleep ... A: I'm sorry that you're facing a revision. I'm not 100% sure if Medicare/Medicaid covers the Lap-Band ... | ||
| lap band removal | 11/16/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I recently had my lap band removed due to nausea constant vomiting and pain. I am still not able to ... A: Kaylee, Most of the time, when a Band is removed because of problems the patient experiences relief ... | ||
| lap band surgery | 11/14/2011 | Steven West |
| Q: can i have lap band surgery if i have already had gastric bypass i had the surgery in the year 2000 A: I'm not sure that the structure of your stomach will allow for a lap band; only your physician can ... | ||
| RA and Surgery | 11/7/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: If I have reactive arthritis already, and am taking Humira every other week-- could i still be a ... A: Peggy, From my perspective, neither a history of arthritis nor a need for Humira is a 'show-stopper' ... | ||
| Food amounts | 10/27/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: firstly, I've found your advice to others most helpful to my own weight loss journey. I would ... A: I'm so sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. I honestly thought I had already ... | ||
| Pain from Magnesium | 10/23/2011 | Steven West |
| Q: I had gastric bypass surgery 11 years ago. Now I have a on going pain that’s goes on in my sided, ... A: If there was a leak, it is my understanding that the consequences would be dire. If you have any ... | ||
| Celiac & Sleeve Surgery | 10/18/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: I have Celiac diease and would like to get the Sleeve surgery. I've noticed other Celiacs have ... A: I honestly haven't heard of any issues with celiacs having VSG surgery. I'd check in with my ... | ||
| My diet | 10/17/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: I had lap band surgery six months ago, I've lost 31 lbs. since then, but I feel I need to change my ... A: Congrats on your weight loss. Sometimes cravings can be a hint that there's something else going ... | ||
| EXTREME FATIGUE | 10/7/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: I am given infusions approximately every 6 months. I experience debilitating fatigue before each ... A: It's tough for me to tell what's going on as I'm not sure which surgery you had (RNY, DS, VSG, ... | ||
| Eating with gastric sleeve | 9/29/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I was sleeved on Sept 1st. I've had a difficult time getting fluids and protein in. When I drink ... A: Nellie, Online support is not a good channel for medical advice, so my first piece of advice is that ... | ||
| debilitating nausea after gastric sleeve surgery | 9/25/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: CT scan with contrast, scope, all say all is well but since discharge from hospital and IV and IV ... A: Lee, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles after Sleeve surgery. I do have one or two ideas, though ... | ||
| Best decision of my life-really more of a comment | 9/21/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: Dr. Pilcher, You performed my RNY 11 years ago. I was at about 400 lbs. I now weigh 145 and wear a ... A: Sounds like a great plan. On the Iron, you may want to see a hematologist to consider IV Iron. ... | ||
| Best decision of my life-really more of a comment | 9/20/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: Dr. Pilcher, You performed my RNY 11 years ago. I was at about 400 lbs. I now weigh 145 and wear a ... A: Melissa, You are so very welcome, and thank you for writing! I hope you are seeing a bariatric ... | ||
| Calcium D-glucarate | 9/6/2011 | Jacqueline Jacques, ND |
| Q: I have read that calcium D-glucarate can help remove excess estrogen and can be helpful in estrogen ... A: It has good research and I think it probably does help reduce some cancer risk. There are really ... | ||
| Autoimmune disease and bariatric surgery | 9/2/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: Is autoimmune disease a contraindication for any of the procedures? I have FM, and possibly SLE ... A: Lisa, First, I confess that I don't know what diagnosis "FM" stands for, but since I understand SLE, ... | ||
| Possible ulcer | 8/31/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I had gastric bypass Roux en y 9 years ago. I recently have developed stomach discomfort. It feels ... A: Ellen, I can't advise you about whether this may be a serious condition, since that would fall in ... | ||
| post RNY weight regain | 8/26/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I am 7 yrs post-op. Lost from 287 lbs to 137 lbs, now slowly climbing up to 172 lbs. I wish to stay ... A: Loreen, Your question about weight regain is a very important one, and you are definitely not alone ... | ||
| pain after removal of band | 8/19/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: I have my band removed 8/4 due to slipping. The first week I did just fine resting in bed. The ... A: Jennifer, It is a bit difficult in a situation where I am not looking at you or talking to you ... | ||
| question please | 8/18/2011 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: i am 22 years old, 5 foot 8 and i weigh 340 pounds, do i qualify for surgery? i have been trying so ... A: We meet at the Hospice near Jefferson and Tecumseh the first Tuesday of every month from 7 to 9 pm. ... | ||
| question please | 8/18/2011 | Diminishing Dawn |
| Q: i am 22 years old, 5 foot 8 and i weigh 340 pounds, do i qualify for surgery? i have been trying so ... A: You more than qualify for surgery. To qualify you need a bmi of 40 so there should be no issues ... | ||
| Rue n y | 8/17/2011 | Karla K. |
| Q: Its been five months since my surgery some times I fill like I'm eating to much but I try to stay at ... A: I think it's great that you're tuning into your new pouch--and realizing that you might be eating ... | ||
| hair loss post bypass | 8/17/2011 | Jacqueline Jacques, ND |
| Q: In april of this year I had a gastric bypass now my hair is falling out. I can't tolerate the ... A: A couple of things... 1) Hair loss after gastric bypass usually starts at about 100 days post op, ... | ||
| bariatric surgery | 8/17/2011 | John Pilcher, MD |
| Q: Dr.Pilcher I started looking into bariatric surgery some years ago and was quickly dterred from ... A: Pollie, I'm certainly sympathetic with your situation, especially since you thought about your ... | ||
Bariatric Surgery
Answers by Expert:
John Pilcher, MD
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer medically oriented questions about bariatric surgery including: patient selection, preparation for surgery, differences between types of bariatric surgery, aftercare following bariatric surgery. I can answer detailed questions about gastric bypass, Lap-Band, gastric sleeve, and revision bariatric surgery. I am only somewhat familiar with Biliopancreatic diversion. I am not prepared to answer insurance or other financial questions related to bariatric surgery.
Experience
I have been a practicing bariatric surgeon since 1995. About 85% of my current practice consists of bariatric surgery, including all of the above procedures except biliopancreatic diversion. I am the senior surgeon of a 5-surgeon group. I am recognized among surgeons and other medical professionals as the most experienced bariatric surgeon in my region.
Organizations
Fellow of American College of Surgeons
Member, American Society for Bariatric Surgery
Education/Credentials
BA in Biochemistry - University of Virginia
Medical Degree - University of Virginia
Surgical Residency - University of Virginia
Awards and Honors
Alpha Omega Alpha
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