Study Reveals Bariatric Surgery Rapidly Decreases Liver Volume and Fat

 

Laparoscopic Surgery pic

Laparoscopic Surgery
Image: ericgansurgery.com.sg

A graduate of the National University of Singapore, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng has been practicing medicine for over two decades. Focusing his practice largely on bariatric, gastric and oesophageal cancer, and upper GI surgery, Dr. Eric Gan serves as a consultant surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical Centre and is also the director of Bridge Bariatrics.

In June 2017, researchers from the Center for the Future of Surgery at the University of California, San Diego revealed that bariatric surgery results in rapid decreases in liver fat density and volume, thus making it a preventative option for patients who are at risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The study was presented during the annual meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. This was a multi-institutional study that looked at 49 patients who were eligible for bariatric surgery according to the National Institutes of Health’s criteria.

These individuals underwent a total of five MRI scans during the course of the study. One scan each was scheduled for one, three, and six months following a bariatric procedure, and the remaining two scans occurred prior to the operation at baseline and following a preoperative liquid diet.

According to the results, liver volume following a two-week liquid diet improved by 12 percent among patients. Liver volume decreased even further after surgery and, between baseline and one month post-op, patients had lost around 21 percent of their total liver volume. Further, this volume remained steady over the next five months.

Meanwhile, liver fat concentration decreased by around 71 percent and more than 80 percent of patients has a proton density fat fraction (PDFF) below the cutoff for NAFLD by the six-month post-op mark.

Study Finds Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Alters Stomach Ecosystem

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery pic

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery
Image: wired.com

An experienced surgeon in Singapore, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng has been practicing medicine for more than 20 years. He graduated from the National University of Singapore and now functions as the director of Bridge Bariatrics and a consultant surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical Centre. Dr. Eric Gan provides a wide range of services in these two capacities, but he primarily focuses on performing weight loss procedures.

Recently, researchers from Arizona State University published the results of a new National Institute of Health-supported study that looked into how bariatric surgery affects microbes in the stomach. Specifically, the study looked at Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures, and it found that microbial diversity and environment dramatically rearranges following RYGB procedures.

According to the results, RYGB procedures decrease the level of acidity in the stomach and increase the levels of oxygen. This change in environment triggers the development of an entirely new and diverse microbial ecosystem by allowing certain microbes to thrive when they originally struggled to survive.

Further, many of the additional microbes found living in the stomach are responsible for controlling eating and signaling appetite-suppressing hormones. Although more research is still needed to determine how each microbe affects weight loss, previous studies done on mice suggest that these microbes are responsible for dramatic decreases in weight.

These results were also seen after LAGB procedures, but the effects were notably milder.

The results of this new study offer insight into a promising new bariatric option that focuses on altering the stomach ecosystem instead of performing a surgical procedure.

Causes and Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer

Eric Gan pic

Eric Gan
Image: ericgansurgery.com.sg

The director of Bridge Bariatrics and a consultant surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical Centre, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng has been practicing medicine for more than two decades. Specializing in digestive tract and abdominal surgery, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng completed specialty training in cancer surgery at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. Dr Eric Gan now performs cancer surgery for a variety of conditions such as pancreatic cancer.

Although scientists still do not know the specific cause of pancreatic cancer, they know that the disease develops due to a mutation in the DNA. This mutation can be either inherited or acquired.

In most cases, individuals inherited only one gene mutation from one of their parents. The other parent provides a normal copy of the gene associated with pancreatic cancer. Over time, the mutated gene may damage the good gene in certain cells within the pancreas. As a result, some pancreatic cells grow in abnormal ways, which can evolve into pancreatic cancer. While having one mutated gene puts individuals at a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, the presence of a mutated gene does not always mean they will develop the disease.

Meanwhile, acquired mutations typically occur as the result of an individual’s behavior. Certain cancer-causing chemicals, or carcinogens, damage the DNA within the body’s cells and can cause them to become abnormal. Cigarette smoke frequently affects cells within the pancreas, which puts smokers at a higher risk of developing the disease.

In some cases, DNA mutations occur randomly. When cells divide, they must replicate the DNA that they contain. Unfortunately, this process is not always perfect and may cause a mutation that leads to pancreatic cancer. Diabetes, obesity, and a high-fat diet all increase the risk of developing the disease.

Good Candidates for Arm Lift Surgery

Eric Gan pic

Eric Gan
Image: ericgansurgery.com.sg

For the past 20 years, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng has been practicing medicine in Singapore. A graduate of the National University of Singapore, he serves as the director of Bridge Bariatrics and practices as a consultant surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical Centre. Beyond providing a range of bariatric procedures, Dr. Eric Gan Keng Seng offers various post-weight-loss body contouring procedures, including arm lifts.

Arm lift surgery, also known as brachioplasty, is performed to remove fat and excess skin along the arms. In most cases, the procedure is performed on individuals between the ages of 35 and 65 for either aging or weight loss reasons. Good brachioplasty candidates have already lost the excess weight they were trying to get rid of, but they have leftover skin under their arms. Patients who experience significant skin laxity on the arms due to aging are also ideal candidates.

Since brachioplasty involves the removal of excess skin on the arms, patients must be of a stable weight. This typically requires that they maintain a healthy diet and an exercise routine. When patients do not stay healthy, they may regain lost weight, which can reverse the procedure’s effects or cause other complications.

In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, individuals must not have any medical conditions that may increase their risk of complications.