Gastro Grades

Gastric bypass surgery shrinks the size of your stomach, so you can't eat as much as you used to. The surgeon will also re-route, or bypass, part of your digestive system so you don't absorb as much food.

Extensive gastric bypass (biliopancreatic diversion): This is a more complicated type of gastric bypass. The surgeon removes the lower part of the stomach. He then connects the small pouch that remains directly to the last part of the small intestine, completely bypassing the first two parts. It works for weight loss, but it's not widely used because it can leave you short on nutrients

Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery

People who have gastric bypass surgery are at risk for:

•  Pouch stretching. The stomach gets bigger over time, stretching back to its original size.
•  Band erosion. The band closing off part of the stomach disintegrates.
•  Breakdown of staple lines. The band and staples fall apart, reversing the procedure.
•  Leakage of stomach acid into the body. This is dangerous because the acid can eat away other organs.
•  Nutritional deficiencies. Your body will be less able to get nutrients from food.

Gastric bypass surgery also may cause "dumping syndrome." When that happens, food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, sweating, fainting, and, occasionally, diarrhea after eating, as well as becoming extremely weak after eating sweets.

How to find the best doctor for a gastric bypass: 

Finding a doctor who can perform a gastric bypass is easy, but finding one that you can trust ... not so much. EZDoctor.com has been helping patients who are looking for doctors for gastric and cosmetics surgeries for more than a year now. EZDoctor Reports help patients know and understand if a doctor is qualified to perform a surgical procedure. Go to ezdoctor.com today to get started. EZDoctor Reports contain doctor's information such as: medical malpractice information, board actions, criminal offenses and real patient reviews. Get an EZDoctor Report before choosing or scheduling an appointment with a doctor. Go to ezdoctor.com 

A gastroenterologist is a physician who specializes in diseases of the digestive system, also called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Gastroenterologists have extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), and biliary system (e.g., liver, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts). Gastroenterology is a subspecialty of internal medicine.

Gastroenterologists have a thorough understanding of how food moves through the digestive tract (called motility) and the physical and chemical break down of food (digestion), including the absorption of nutrients and the removal of waste products.

Gastroenterologists also focus on the digestive function of the liver.

Gastroenterologists usually care for patients in an office or hospital setting, including nursing homes and outpatient surgical centers.

They often serve as consultants to other physicians and may work in the research field.

Gastroenterologists specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis, management, and treatment of the following symptoms and conditions:

• Abdominal pain and discomfort
• Bleeding in the digestive tract
• Cancer (e.g., colorectal cancer, stomach [gastric] cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer)
• Constipation and diarrhea
• Difficulty swallowing
• Diverticular disease and other diseases of the colon (e.g., polyps, irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], colitis, Crohn's disease)
• Gallbladder disease
• Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hemorrhoids
•  Hiatal hernias
• Inflammation in the digestive tract (e.g., gastritis)
• Liver disease (e.g., hepatitis, jaundice)
• Malabsorption disorders (e.g., celiac disease, lactose intolerance)
• Stomach upset, nausea, vomiting
• Ulcers
•  Unexplained weight loss

Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting a gastroenterologist. Choose a gastroenterologist who:

• Listens to your opinions and concerns
• Encourages you to ask questions
• Explains things in ways you can understand

When you and your doctor work together as a team, you’ll get better health care. Try the following tips to find a doctor who’s right for you.

Always research your doctor. What you should know about your doctor:

Contact information, Locations and Gender. 

License Information. It is important to know if your doctor is licensed to provide the care that you need.

Education. To learn more about your physician’s background EZDoctor Reports contain information regarding where they studied, graduation date, board certifications, as well as their internship, residency and fellowship. This will help you make an educated decision regarding your doctor’s training and ability.

Hospital Affiliations/Privileges. Its common practice for a doctor to have their office in one location and perform treatment in a separate location. For example, you could go to a doctor’s office for a consultation regarding your knee and that doctor might provide treatment and/or surgery at a hospital that he is affiliated with or has privileges. By having this information before hand, it can help you in deciding whether this doctor would be the most convenient for you.

Procedure Pricing Information. When taking care of any health concern, one of the main things we consider is the cost associated with any procedures that might be necessary. An EZDoctor report will display an average charge for procedures performed by the physician you are reviewing.

Patient Referral Summary.  Primary care physicians, when needed, refer patients to a specialist. Especially when they face a diagnosis that is beyond their Scope of Practice. With an EZDoctor report you will see the physician’s referral pattern.

Pricing/Prescribing Habits. Is your doctor more likely to prescribe a name brand versus a generic drug? Despite your preference, by seeing a breakdown of the most common prescriptions a physician orders you can get a clear view of his prescribing tendencies and average price per prescription.

Disciplinary Actions. Finding out if a physician has been sanctioned or not by a state medical board can be very useful when it comes to selecting a doctor to visit. Equally important is to know  what those infractions were related to.

Criminal Offenses. While federal criminal records are not available to the public, EZDoctor reports include state government records that indicate whether a physician has ever been charged or convicted of a crime. Allowing you to have this information prior to any consultation and/or treatment.

Malpractice Claims. You have the right to know if your physician has been involved in any incidents regarding his medical care. From surgical and medication errors to misdiagnoses, EZDoctor will provide the information you need.

Patient Reviews. It’s always good to know what other patients are saying about a physician. EZDoctor reports collect patient reviews from multiple sources.

Other important questions to ask about the doctor:

Is the doctor taking new patients?

 Is the doctor part of a group practice? Who are the other doctors?

Who will see you if your doctor isn’t available?

Which hospital does the doctor use?

 If you have a medical condition, does the doctor have experience treating it?

What languages does the doctor speak? 

You can find all the information you need on a physician by obtaining an EZDoctor Report. Go to ezdoctor.com now to get started!

Source: healthfinder.gov, healthcommunities.com 

EZDoctor, the leader in healthcare transparency and April, a global travel insurance provider have recently partnered to offer telemedicine services to patients traveling abroad that are in need of medical assistance.

When you choose a primary care doctor for yourself or a loved one, make sure to choose a doctor you can trust. A primary care doctor can help you make important decisions, like which screening tests and shots to get, treat many health problems, refer you to a specialist when you need more help with a specific health issue.

Here are some things you should know before selecting a physician

• Listens to your opinions and concerns
• Encourages you to ask questions
• Explains things in ways you can understand

When you and your doctor work together as a team, you’ll get better health care. Try the following tips to find a doctor who’s right for you.

Research your doctor.

If you have health insurance, you may need to choose a doctor in their network. Some insurance plans may let you choose a doctor outside the network if you pay more of the cost.

What you should know about your doctor:

• Contact information, Locations and Gender. 
• License Information. It is important to know if your doctor is licensed to provide the care that you need.
• Education. To learn more about your physician’s background EZDoctor Reports contain information regarding where they studied, graduation date, board certifications, as well as their internship, residency and fellowship. This will help you make an educated decision regarding your doctor’s training and ability.
• Hospital Affiliations/Privileges.  Its common practice for a doctor to have their office in one location and perform treatment in a separate location. For example, you could go to a doctor’s office for a consultation regarding your knee and that doctor might provide treatment and/or surgery at a hospital that he is affiliated with or has privileges. By having this information before hand, it can help you in deciding whether this doctor would be the most convenient for you.
• Procedure Pricing Information. When taking care of any health concern, one of the main things we consider is the cost associated with any procedures that might be necessary. An EZDoctor report will display an average charge for procedures performed by the physician you are reviewing.
• Patient Referral Summary.  Primary care physicians, when needed, refer patients to a specialist. Especially when they face a diagnosis that is beyond their Scope of Practice. With an EZDoctor report you will see the  physicians referral pattern.
• Pricing/Prescribing Habits. Is your  doctor more likely to prescribe a name brand versus a generic drug? Despite your preference, by seeing a breakdown of the most common prescriptions a physician orders you can get a clear view of his prescribing tendencies and average price per prescription.
• Disciplinary Actions. Finding out if a physician has been sanctioned or not by a state medical board can be very useful when it comes to selecting a doctor to visit. Equally important is to know  what those infractions were related to.
• Criminal Offenses. While federal criminal records are not available to the public, EZDoctor reports include state government records that indicate whether a physician has ever been charged or convicted of a crime. Allowing you to have this information prior to any consultation and/or treatment.
• Malpractice Claims. You have the right to know if your physician has been involved in any incidents regarding his medical care. From surgical and medication errors to misdiagnoses, EZDoctor will provide the information you need.
• Patient Reviews. It’s always good to know what other patients are saying about a physician. EZDoctor reports collect patient reviews from multiple sources.

Other important questions to ask about the doctor:

• Is the doctor taking new patients?
• Is the doctor part of a group practice? Who are the other doctors?
• Who will see you if your doctor isn’t available?
• Which hospital does the doctor use?
• If you have a medical condition, does the doctor have experience treating it?
• What languages does the doctor speak? 

You can find all the information you need on a physician by obtaining an EZDoctor Report. Go to ezdoctor.com now to get started! 

Source: healthfinder.gov

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, can cause peptic ulcer disease and make ulcer symptoms worse.

Pain relief medicines like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are popular because they work to reduce inflammation and pain. But while they do that very well, they can also have a negative effect on the protective lining of the stomach. 

How NSAIDs Affect the Stomach Lining

NSAIDs work by lowering the levels of enzymes called cyclooxygenases (abbreviated as COX), which in turn lowers the production of another substance called prostaglandin. Decreasing COX and prostaglandin helps in controlling inflammation, but is not so good when it comes to keeping the stomach lining healthy. This makes it harder for the body to maintain the stomach’s protective mucous lining, control the amount of blood flow in the stomach lining, and control how acidic or alkaline it is inside the stomach. 

Different NSAIDs cause different levels of gastrointestinal damage. It is difficult to rank them because dosages differ, but in general indomethacin (Indocin) appears to have a higher risk, while naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), diclofenac (Voltaren), and aspirin are considered medium-risk. 

Ulcer Symptoms: Treating Ulcer Pain

People who have pain because of an ulcer do not necessarily need pain medication and should certainly not use an NSAID for ulcer pain. Christian Mathy, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at the University of California, San Francisco, says, “Usually, once you block the acid irritating the ulcer, people feel better quite rapidly.” 

So, along with prescribing antibiotics if someone is infected with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori), the bacterium that is the main cause of ulcers, Dr. Mathy says he normally prescribes a proton pump inhibitor (Prevacid, Nexium, Protonix), a type of drug that blocks the secretion of gastric acid. This will reduce the pain level. 

If that doesn’t work, Mathy says, “I use an [acid buffer] as it provides a second barrier to irritation which supplements the mucous barrier.” 

Mathy also talks to his patients about cutting back on foods that can aggravate ulcers and cause more pain, and recommends eating frequent small meals. He also cautions smokers that smoking can delay ulcer healing and suggests at the very least cutting back, if not quitting. 

Ulcer Symptoms: Treating Non-Ulcer Pain

Those most likely to take NSAIDs long-term are people with chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. There are also a number of people who use low-dose aspirin to help prevent heart attack and stroke. 

Mathy says for people starting on long-term NSAID therapy, “I always counsel them about the risks.” For those who are at high risk of developing an ulcer, including those who have already had one, people over 75, and patients on [or who will likely be on] a high dose of NSAIDs, “I recommend that as long as they are on the NSAID they should be taking a proton pump inhibitor once a day.” Studies have shown that people who take proton pump inhibitors while on NSAIDS can avoid developing ulcers. 

Mathy also says that patients starting on long-term NSAIDs should be checked for H. pylori because these two risk factors together really raise the odds that someone will develop an ulcer. 

Getting rid of this bug can significantly lower your risk of developing an ulcer if you are taking NSAIDS. In a study of people with H. pylori who also had arthritis and were started on an NSAID, 34 percent of those who didn’t receive treatment for the bacteria developed an ulcer after six months, compared with 12 percent who did have treatment.

Article Source: Everyday Health