Surgical Weight Loss Services

Bariatric surgery is the general term for a variety of weight loss surgical procedures. The surgery is a tool, not a cure, to help treat weight problems. Our mission is to help patients transform their lives through surgical weight loss when nonsurgical attempts have been unsuccessful.

Weight loss surgery is intended not only to decrease your weight but also to improve your overall health. Obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, are greatly reduced after weight loss surgery.

The surgery involves both risks and a commitment to significant lifestyle changes. To make an informed decision, educate yourself about the types, benefits and potential complications of the various bariatric surgery methods.

Am I a candidate for weight loss surgery?

Most nonsurgical weight loss programs are based on a combination of diet, behavior modification and regular exercise. Unfortunately, even the most effective interventions dont work for everyone. Its estimated that less than 5 percent of individuals who participate in nonsurgical weight loss programs will lose a significant amount of weight and maintain that loss for an extended period of time.

Sustained weight loss for patients who are morbidly obeseusually defined as being 100 pounds or more over ideal body weight or having a body mass index of 40 or higheris even harder to achieve. And serious health risks have been identified for people who move from diet to diet, subjecting their bodies to a severe and continuing cycle of weight loss and gain known as yo-yo dieting.

Bariatric weight loss surgeries, such as gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding force patients to drastically reduce the amount of food they consume by surgically creating a small stomach pouch. Most gastric procedures reduce the stomachs holding capacity from about two quarts to two ounces. When eating, this pouch fills quickly. Because patients feel satisfied and full sooner, they eat less.

Bariatric surgery can save lives and continues to benefit people struggling with morbid obesity worldwide. With each successful procedure, the medical community sees further evidence that bariatric surgery is an effective weight loss tool and treatment for obesity-related health conditions. Studies show that bariatric surgery patients are living longer lives of higher quality.

The risk of an early death for an obese person is twice that of a non-obese person, according to recent studies. Morbid obesity can shorten lives and cause life-threatening health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Weight loss surgery helps decrease your chances of these and other conditions, including sleep apnea and arthritis.

With treatment, good health and a longer life are much more likely.

All surgeries and medical procedures carry risk. Its important to talk to your doctor, other weight loss surgery patients and your loved ones to best understand the benefits and risks for your individual situation.

Important Considerations

Surgery should not be considered until you and your doctor have evaluated all options. Its important to discuss with your doctor of the following issues:

• These procedures are in no way to be considered cosmetic surgery.
• The surgery does not involve the removal of adipose tissue (fat) by suction or excision.
• A decision to choose surgical treatment requires a patients careful assessment of risks versus benefits.
• Most weight loss surgical procedures approved in the United States are not reversible (except gastric banding, which is reversible).
• The success of weight loss surgery depends on long-term lifestyle changes in diet and exercise.
• Problems can arise after bariatric surgery that may require additional surgery.

Complications and Risks

As with any surgery, there are potential risks of surgical and long-term complications. These should be discussed with your doctor. However, for many patients, the risk of death from obesity-related health complications is greater than the risk of complications from bariatric surgery.

Among the possible surgical risks are:

• Bleeding
• Complications from anesthesia and medications
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Reopening of the incision
• Infections
• Leaks from staple line breakdown
• Marginal ulcers
• Pulmonary problems
• Spleen injury
• Stenosis