Weight Loss Resources
Most people have heard of what is often called the 'obesity epidemic'. Thirty percent of adults in America are considered obese. Obesity is determined and measured most often by the Body Mass Index or BMI. This number is a simple ratio between a person's weight and height. People who have a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. Obesity is associated with many other medical conditions that include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes Mellitus
- High cholesterol
- Sleep apnea
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Arthritis
- Infertility
- Heart disease
- Cancer
Morbid obesity occurs when a person's BMI is 35 or greater. Morbid obesity is known to increase the risk of premature death. One of the great challenges of morbid obesity is losing weight and keeping it off. Many studies have shown that when diet and exercise alone are employed to lose weight, only 5% of patients are successful in losing weight and keeping it off. Bariatric surgery has been shown to dramatically increase this success rate.
Who qualifies for bariatric surgery?
There are two ways a person can qualify for bariatric surgery. One is to have a BMI between 35 and 40 and have one or more of those medical conditions associated with obesity. The other way to qualify is to have a BMI of 40 or more. Patients meeting these criteria can consult with a bariatric surgeon to determine if surgery is right for them.
What are the benefits of bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery has been shown to have many benefits. First, surgical treatment of obesity results in 55 to 80 percent of patients losing 50% or more of their excess weight and keeping it off for at least 5 years. In addition, bariatric surgery patients very often see a dramatic improvement in their obesity-related medical problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and sleep apnea. Many of these patients are able to stop taking medications for such medical problems. These people often experience a greater feeling of well-being and have more confidence. Bariatric surgery lowers the risk of premature death by 89%.
What procedures are used to treat obesity?
There are multiple operations performed to treat obesity. The two most common operations are the Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy. The vast majority of the time, these operations are performed laparoscopically, meaning by 'minimally invasive surgery.' This means operations are performed through multiple small incisions (5 or 10mm) in a person's abdomen rather than one large incision.
Gastric Bypass (Roux en Y Gastric Bypass)
This procedure involves creating a stomach pouch about the size of a person's thumb. This limits how much a person can eat. Then, the small intestine is divided about 2 feet downstream from the stomach. One end of the intestine is brought up and attached to the small stomach pouch (gastrojejunostomy). The other end of the intestine is attached to the downstream intestinal tract. The gastric bypass restricts how much food a person can eat and results in decreased absorption of the food a person eats.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
This procedure involves creating a tube or 'sleeve' shaped conduit out of the stomach and removing the remaining portion of the stomach. This restricts how much a person can eat.
What to expect?
Most people stay in the hospital for 1-2 nights after bariatric surgery. They are started on a special diet in the hospital and continue advancing the diet when they go home. Patients are responsible to follow the guidelines after surgery in what they eat and their activity. Successful patients follow these guidelines and are motivated to exercise and alter behaviors that help them stay on track. There are many adjustments in lifestyle that must be made with bariatric surgery.
What are the risks?
As with any intestinal surgery, bariatric surgery has similar risks of bleeding, infection, hernia, blood clots, leaks from staple and suture lines and even death. However, over the last 20 years bariatric surgery has become as safe as gallbladder surgery, hip replacement and hysterectomy with a mortality rate of less than 0.2%.
Fortunately, research and advancements have resulted in practices that have significantly reduced these risks. At the Saint Alphonsus Metabolic and Bariatric Center, we follow these practices to lower the risks of surgery in a safe and supportive environment.
What does Bariatric "Comprehensive Center" Accreditation mean?
Achieving Bariatric Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons means that our Metabolic and Bariatric Program at Saint Alphonsus has met the following Quality and Safety Standards demonstrating:
- Consistently excellent surgical outcomes
- Patient outcome tracking through the MBSAQIP registry
- Standardized and adhered to practice guidelines
- Comprehensive patient support with providers, nurses, dieticians and psychiatrist
- Investment in all appropriate weight capacity equipment for patient safety
- Longitudinal care beyond surgery and surveillance for metabolic health
- Patient support groups
- 24/7 availability to bariatric surgical care
- Annual training and for outpatient and inpatient staff that care for bariatric patients specific to patient sensitivity, patient transfer and recognizing complications