Blog
15th Apr, 2022
In 2005, Dr. Sasse’s patient Gail was at what she describes as her lowest point. “My grandmother had just passed away and my husband had been diagnosed with ALS. I was working 70 hours a week teaching middle school and not taking care of myself.” Add to that a severe hiatal hernia and nodules on her vocal cords, and Gail was in a terrible spot.… Read more »
8th Apr, 2022
Over one hundred trillion bacteria make up the normal microbiome within our bodies. We've known the changes in the gut bacteria play a role beyond digestion and have at least some effects in regulating inflammation, blood sugar, and even energy metabolism within the body. Prior studies have compared the bacterial flora from the gut of individuals with obesity and found that the populations of bacteria… Read more »
1st Apr, 2022
Dr. Sasse is fortunate to share his perspective on metabolic surgery and incontinence treatments on Sixty and Me, a wonderful website addressing people in their golden years. Recently, he wrote a post about one of the most common statements he hears from patients seeking a resolution to their bladder or bowel incontinence. We hope you'll read the piece in full on Sixty and Me, but… Read more »
25th Mar, 2022
At 25, Amanda S. was ready for a change. Despite cycles of dieting and trying all of the fat diets, where she would lose a little bit of weight and gain it all back, she was considerably overweight. And it was affecting everything from her energy and confidence to her health. She was already pre-diabetic and showing signs of heart disease. And then a friend… Read more »
18th Mar, 2022
Does everyone need to wait until they reach "My 600-Lb Life" status before considering bariatric surgery? Clearly not, but what sort of sign does someone need? How do I know if it's time to consider bariatric surgery? Bariatric surgery has become a whole lot safer and simpler in the last two decades, so much so that it is among the safest routine procedures in the… Read more »
11th Mar, 2022
Millions of people just put up with symptoms of bladder incontinence or overactive bladder. And that might be a reasonable plan at the beginning, but these conditions are progressive and tend to become much worse over time, making them less compatible with normal life. For so many people, the minor inconvenience soon becomes a major disruption and a big source of misery. Canceling social events,… Read more »
25th Feb, 2022
I am often asked about loose skin after weight-loss surgery. Will it be bothersome? Will it cause problems? Will it be cosmetically unattractive? The answers, of course, vary from person to person. Most people will lose a large amount of weight after their sleeve gastrectomy procedure, and most find that the skin rebounds nicely and causes no serious issues. Others find certain areas of the… Read more »
17th Feb, 2022
Gastric bypass (Roux en Y gastric bypass or RYGB) was a great procedure for many people. But time can lead to weight regain, and for some individuals, many pounds are regained over the years. If it has been 10, 20, or even 30 years since the gastric bypass procedure, what can be done? Today there is a very useful revision that can be done safely… Read more »
11th Feb, 2022
For such a common problem, the hernia is often misunderstood. A hernia occurs when the strong layers of the abdominal wall have a tear or hole that allows tissues to protrude outward through the rupture. The tissue protruding is often some unimportant internal fat but occasionally it can be very important intestinal tissue that could become pinched, squeezed and then damaged, a process known as… Read more »
4th Feb, 2022
A headache is bad by itself, but chronic headaches can truly affect one's quality of life. Interestingly, research is showing that for those who are overweight or obese, metabolism surgery improves even the most severe headaches. Understanding Headaches Headaches come in different forms. Neurologists classify them into different categories based on what causes the headaches. The two most common causes of headaches are migraine headaches… Read more »