"End Stage" Untreatable Obesity

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi everyone!

I have a curious question. I was reading some information about morbid obesity and came across this term, "End Stage" untreatable obesity. It's a result of being morbily obese. I can guess on the definition of this term but am curious what exactly it is. How does obesity become untreatable? How does it become "end stage"?

I thought of asking here and see if anyone could explain this term.

Thanks!

trauma, good luck with your surgery

my dd had the bypass surgery and she had some rough spots but has lost over 100# and she says she would do it again in a heart beat...she had tried every diet w/o success she looks so good and she can exercise daily and she feels so much better

keep us in touch

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Trauma,

All my best as you begin your journey. As a person who has been blessed with relatively good health, with only a few minor bumps along the way, I am in awe of those who undertake such major changes. I admire your dedication to a better future and wish you all the best.

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

As to the topic of end-stage obesity, I am an avid watcher of the Brookhaven show on TLC (or is it Discovery Health)?

Anyway, one patient was a young man who suffered respiratory failure because his chest wall was so heavy that his muscles simply could no longer support the work of breathing. After a number of emergency admissions to an acute care hospital, he eventually died. It was terribly sad, because he was trying to lose enough weight to qualify for surgery, but never got there. I think that may be the type of complication meant by "end-stage obesity".

You really shouldn't be. They aren't much different from any other obese post-surgical patient.

Our patients went to the ICU after surgery, and were almost always transferred to the med/surg floor the next day and home within a week or so. This surgeon mostly did Roux-en-Y; this was about 10 years ago and I understand that procedure has fallen somewhat out of favor.

1O years ago most where open procedures now most are done laparscopically.

Specializes in Hospice, ER.

Trauma,

Best of luck to you:flwrhrts:I'm sure you will do wonderfully.

I've seen these end-stage obesity pts. Its very sad. I was watching Animal planet the other day and saw special medical equipment for horses. Sadly, we could use that equipment for our super obese pts, so as to provide better care for them. This isn't meant to be a mean comment, just an observation of good medical equipment. The worst I've seen in our ER is the pt who was carried in on her bed by 8 firefighters. She hadn't left the bed for any reason in many years. Very sad.

END STAGE may refer to those whose weight has adversely affected their vital organs and general health to the point that they can not be helped with the procedures now available

it takes a long time to lose 800 lbs and some of those on Discovery Channel have at least that much to lose and their body just gives out

if you haven't walked in a long time your bones have lost calcium, your heart is straining to pump blood etc

the sad thing about so many of these people are that they don't really see to enjoy a meal...they just push the food in as fast as they can and don't really taste it

Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

"With the band, complications include slipping of the band, infection, erosion of the stomach."

My father had the RNY, becuase of bad ulcers, to bypass part of the stomach. The one thing Im not sold on with the lap band, is that it is a foreign object in the body. I know.... there are lots of implanted things. But it seems the more we introduce, the more side effects down the road.

but then again, its pretty new, compared to some of the others.

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