Omentectomy

newbander · February 9, 2006

Greetings folks. I'm just under two months from getting my SAGB over in Europe. Has anybody had the omentectomy done along with the band?

Alexandra · February 9, 2006

What exactly does that mean?

MyKdsDad · February 9, 2006

Omentectomy: Surgery to remove part or all of the omentum, a fold of the peritoneum (the thin tissue lining the abdomen) that surrounds the stomach and other organs in the abdomen.

Sounds painful to me...

the best me · February 9, 2006

Why would an omentum need to be removed?

newbander · February 9, 2006

The omentum is the metabolically active portion of visceral (belly) fat in the abdomen. It drains to the liver and helps keep us fat. The medical establishment is just catching on to this fact and has two studies pending to remove the omentum as a treatment for Type II diabetes.

Jachut · February 9, 2006

When I was a physio student we dissected human bodies, yeuch but extremely interesting. All your abdominal organs are attached to this big sheet of slimy, slippery, fatty stuff - you cant just dive in in surgery and remove an organ without dissecting it from the omentum first.

From memory it plays some sort of immune role, although it used to be thought that it played a role in warmth.

I wouldnt want to lose bits of me until the medical establishment was certain of the efficacy of the treatment.

PhotoNut · February 9, 2006

Um.. nobody's touching my omentum!

But I would happily have an assectomy. *grins*

Alexandra · February 9, 2006

Newbander, I think it may be clear from our reactions that this is not a wide practice here in the States. Is it happening overseas yet, or just in the study stage?

newbander · February 9, 2006

Newbander, I think it may be clear from our reactions that this is not a wide practice here in the States. Is it happening overseas yet, or just in the study stage?

They've done it overseas. The group who had the band and omentectomy had dramatically improved insulin sensitivity vs just band. At the 2 year point the omentectomy group had a BMI that averaged 4 points lower. No side effects or trouble with the folks they were able to get a hold of even 4 years post op.

The thing is, you always see articles about belly fat causing all the metabolic problems associated with heart disease and diabetes and half a dozen other diseases. Its the omentum that's doing this even though its only about 2 lbs in weight. It acts like an endocrine organ and pumps out alot of the substances that make us regain weight. Go to Pub Med and type this number in the search for an abstract of the study: 11850750

I have the actual study. The results are impressive. See, I think that if you do an omentectomy on younger lower BMI patients who havent been able to keep the weight off (and lets face it we've all been able to lose weight) it will flip the metabolic switch back to normal and then diet and exercise will work and you wont plateau at 20 or 40 lbs weight lost then slowly watch it creep back up. You wont have cravings for sweets, the hunger feed back loop will be re-established because of the improvement in insulin sensitivity etc....

I'm having it removed and the band put in. If I'm right, I ought to lose and keep losing beyond the normal plateaus. If I'm wrong after a couple months, my fill port is just a few inches below the skin.

Vanderbilt is doing a study. Go to Clinicaltrials.gov and type omentectomy. Dr. George Fielding over at NYU has also done it on some of his band patients. He's a bander too.

Alexandra · February 10, 2006

Wow, that is VERY interesting. I hope you share your experience with us, Newbander!

Are there any projected long-term downsides to being omentum-less?

newbander · February 10, 2006

Wow, that is VERY interesting. I hope you share your experience with us, Newbander!
Are there any projected long-term downsides to being omentum-less?

I'll definately be keeping the forum updated. The omentum is often removed in cancer patients since its a route for cancers to spread in the abdomen. I've searched medline (pubmed) and other locations and haven't been able to find any problems with the proceedure. The surgeon I talked to here in town said it was a fairly easy procedure and not particularly "bloody".

Basically I see it as a kind of metabolic correction in addition to the band. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are big, if not "the", players in obesity. I suspect that people who have either the band or bypass and gain the weight back fail because their level of insulin resistance hasn't self corrected after the surgery and thats why they crave the sweet stuff and gain it all back. The fact that Vanderbilt University is calling their study a treatment for Type II is pretty potent evidence that something is going on with this specific type of fat. I bet their patients lose weight too. We'll see.

maria70 · July 25, 2006

Please, any body knows where I can findc a doctor who performs omentectomy?Yhanks.

maria70 · July 25, 2006

Please, any body knows where I can findc a doctor who performs omentectomy?Yhanks.

maria70 · March 6, 2007

Please, any body knows where I can findc a doctor who performs omentectomy?Yhanks.

Hi newbander. I reeeeeeealy like to talk to you about the omentectomy procedure. I've been looking for a place that performs omentectomy, but no luck. Do you know the exact place and doctor who performs that? I be very thankful if youshare that information. thanks.