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Bariatric Surgery/pouch size
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Question
I had gastric bypass surgery back in 2002. How do I know how big my pouch is today?
Eileen,
There are three ways I know of to check the size of your stomach pouch.
1) Endoscopy (also called upper scope, or egd) - in my opinion, this is the least useful method.
2) Upper GI X-ray - patient swallows liquid Barium, and the radiology folks take pictures to see what the pouch looks like. This is the method I find best.
3) Cottage cheese test - a simple home test can give you a rough idea of how big your pouch is in a functional sense. You can read how to do the cottage cheese test on the web at
http://www.ndwls.com/cottage_cheese_test
Best of luck!
Dr JP
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Answers by Expert:
John Pilcher, MD
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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