Glossary
Index: A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
M N O P
R S T U
V W Y
Abdominoplasty: Operation in which the excess skin on the abdomen or apron, is removed
ABG: Adjustable Banded Gastroplasty.
AMOS: Association for Morbid Obesity Support.
Apron: Excess skin in the stomach area that hangs down towards the groin area.
Angel: Someone who befriends a surgery patient and gives them extra attention while they are in the hospital and reports back to any mailing list they are on about how they are doing
Appeal: The process of appealing an insurance denial.
Apnea: A condition in which a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. Measured by times per hour to determine severity. Also called sleep apnea.
Approval: When your insurance company gives authorization for you to have the surgery.
ASBS: American Society of Bariatric Surgeons; a due-paying professional organization of people interested in bariatric surgery. Its members are surgeons and one lawyer. It is NOT a certifying organization. Any interested doctor can belong. Members are determined only by who pays their dues.
Bariatrics: Medicine of or pertaining to obesity.
Binder: A girdle for the stomach area that is used after open surgeries.
BM: Bowel movement.
BMI: Body mass index; a comparative number the measures the correlation between body weight and height.
BP/DS: Biliopancreatic/Duodenal Switch.
Brachioplasty: Plastic surgery to remove excessive skin from the upper arms (batwings)
Catheter: A tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine after surgery.
CIB: Carnation Instant Breakfast.
C-pap Machine: A machine used to force oxygen into the air ways during sleep; used by those with sleep apnea.
Clear liquids: Anything that can be seen through and that can be sipped through a straw. Examples: water, gelatin, coffee, tea. Often the first step in a progressive diet for post-ops.
Clot: Blood that has concentrated and clotted in one area.
CNA: Certified Nurses Assistant
Co-morbidity: a medical condition directly or indirectly related to your weight. Examples include: Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Arthritis, Pseudo-tumor Cerebri, High Blood Pressure and Shortness of Breath
Consultation: An initial visit with a surgeon to determine whether or not surgery is a good option for you, and to develop a plan of action.
Cottage Cheese Test: A test used to determine if or by how much your pouch has stretched. Involves eating as much cottage cheese as you can before feeling full in a set amount of time. The volume of the cottage cheese relates the volume of the new stomach.
Demerol: A narcotic pain reliever.
Denial: When the insurance company refuses to pay for or authorize surgery.
DGB: Roux-en-Y Divided Gastric Bypass.
Distal: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; normally more than 150-200 cm, often done on people with over 100lbs to lose
Dumping: Physiological reaction that the intestinal system of some bypass patients has when exposed to refined sugars. It may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, heart palpitations, dizziness, and other things.
EKG: A heart test, usually done before surgery
Fobi: Either the doctor or the surgery the doctor created which is a form of RNY with a differently shaped pouch.
Full liquids: Anything that can not be seen through that can be sipped through a straw. Examples: milk, protein drinks, pudding, cream soups. Often the 2nd step in a progressive diet for post-ops.
Gallbladder Ultrasound: An ultrasound to test for gallstones, commonly done prior to surgery to see if the gallbladder needs to be removed alongside WLS.
Gas: Often used in reference to the pains felt soon after surgery but before the first BM.
Gastric Bypass: An operation in which the stomach is made smaller and then the intestine is rerouted so that it is attached to the new smaller stomach.
Gastric exclusion: Synonymous with gastric bypass.
Hair loss: A common side effect of any surgery, but more so in WLS because of the rapid weight loss. It is always temporary though.
Heavyweight: Generally someone who weighs more than 300 pounds or has a BMI greater than 50 who wants to have WLS.
Heparin: A blood thinner or family of blood thinners that is given to some patients before and after surgery to prevent clotting. Usually in the form of injection to the stomach.
Hibicleans Sponge: Sponge used to scrub the abdomen prior to surgery.
Honeymoon: The period of time right after surgery in which the weight falls off relatively easy without much care. Usually lasts between 12 and 18 months. Then people have to work at weight loss. However for some people it is a far shorter time.
Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar.
Hypertension: High blood pressure.
Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar.
Hypotension: Low blood pressure.
Intubation: To have an n-g or breathing tube in.
Jackson-Pratt drain tube: a tube that is inserted near the belly button and is used to drain waste out of the stomach. It is a clear tube that has what looks like a clear bulb on the end of it which collects the waste.
Keloid- a raised, firm, thick scar that forms as a result of a defect in the natural healing process
Kilocalorie- a unit of energy; equal to a nutritional calorie
Lap: Short for laparascopic; this is a surgery that is performed with several small incisions that are only a few inches long and into which tools and cameras are inserted allowing the surgeon to work.
Leak test: Checks to make sure the pouch will not leak into the bloodstream resulting in septic shock. Requires ingestion of Barium or a similar radioactive substance in front of an x-ray machine.
Lightweight: Someone who weighs less than 300 pounds or has a BMI less than 50 but wishes to have WLS.
Lipectomy- Surgical excision of subcutaneous fatty tissue.
Medial: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; usually something between between distal and proximal.
MGB: Mini-gastric bypass; a version of the loop bypass which is no longer performed.
Micro-pouch: Also called mini-pouch. A procedure in which the pouch side may be as small as 1 or 2 cc to 15 cc. Think the size of a grape.
Mini-pouch: Also called micro-pouch. A procedure in which the pouch side may be as small as 1 or 2 cc to 15 cc. Think the size of a grape.
MO: Morbid obesity.
Morbid Obesity - someone who has a BMI of 40 or above.
Morphine: A narcotic pain reliever often used in PCA pumps after surgery.
Mortality: Death rate. The mortality of WLS is 0.17% or less than 1/5 of 1%. Comparable to a c-section.
NG-Tube:Nasal-gastro tube; runs through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach.
NIH:National Institute of Health; a government agency that compiles, regulates and researches health problems.
Obesity: Someone with a BMI between 30 and 35.
Open Surgery: that is performed by a single long incision down the center of the body; normally the incision runs from breastbone to approximately belly button
OSSG: Obesity Surgical Support Group
Overweight: Someone with a BMI between 26 and 30.
Panniculus: synonymous with apron.
PCA: Patient Controlled Analgesa. A patient operated pain pump that is run through an IV that and is controlled by pressing a button which dispenses medication. The medication is limited based on how much will be dispensed within any given time.
PCP: Primary care physician; normally family doctor
Plateau: Normal phase in which the body holds on to weight, the scale doesn't budge downward (and may actually move up a pound or so), in order to readjust. Most people lose inches during this phase. May hit at any time and last for a varying period of time. Some people have reported plateaus of a month when they are a few weeks out of surgery. They do pass.
Ports: The small incisions that are made during a laparascopic surgery
Post-op: Someone who has had surgery
Pouch: The new smaller stomach that is formed during wls
Pre-op: Someone who has not had surgery but wants it; sometimes used to refer to those who have been to their consultation and are waiting for insurance approval and surgery date
Proximal: Refers to amount of intestine bypassed; normally 100 cm or less
Pseudo-Tumor Cerebri: A common comorbidity where the pressure of the spinal fluid is too high, causing tumor like symptoms, usually occurs in overweight women of 18-30.
Psychological Evaluation: A test sometimes required by insurance companies or surgeons to make sure you are of sound mind to cope with the surgery and aftercare.
Pulmonary Function Test: A test to measure lung capacity usually done before surgery.
Pureeds: Food that has the consistency of baby food with no hard pieces. Can be made by adding food and a liquid and running it through a blender. Often the third step in a progressive diet for post-ops.
Revision: changing from one type of surgery to another, or correcting a surgery that failed.
Roux-En-Y Divided Gastric Bypass: Stomach is surgically divided into two sections, reducing the size of the functioning section from about two quarts to about two ounces. A small opening is left at the bottom of the newly formed stomach enabling food to pass. This pouch will effectively reduce your stomach's capacity to hold food so you will feel full after eating a small amount.
RGB: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
RN: Registered Nurse
RNY: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
Self-Pay: When the patient pays the cost of surgery out of pocket, usually occurs when insurance refuses to budge on a denial.
Sleep Apnea: a condition in which a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. Measured by times per hour to determine severity. Also called apnea.
Spirometer: An instrument used to measure inspiration volume in the lungs. Usually given to patients prior to surgery to help them exercise their lungs, and practice the breathing techniques required after surgery.
Success: Losing 60-80% of excess weight during the first 12 to 18 months and then maintaining that loss.
Tongs: A method in order to care for your personal hygiene when your movements are limited. Named after the instrument used in implementation.
Transected: stomach is completely separated from the new stomach
TT: Tummy tuck; operation in which the apron is removed.
Type 2: Refers to type 2 diabetes; otherwise, known as adult-onset diabetes.
Upper GI: Test that looks at the upper gastrointestinal system.
VBG: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
WLS: Weight loss surgery.
Yeast infection- a term usually referring to a candidasis infection
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