Have you considered weight-loss surgery?
Are you at least 100 lbs. over your ideal body weight? Have you had several diet attempts that failed? Do you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or problems sleeping (sleep apnea)? If so, you are not alone.

What is Morbid Obesity?
The NIH consensus of 1991 deems morbid obesity an American epidemic. One third of adults in the United States (97 million) are overweight or obese. As many as 10 million U.S. adults are considered morbidly obese.

Morbid obesity is defined as being over 100 lbs. overweight or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 40. [BMI = weight in lbs. x 704.5/ (height in inches)2]

What are the long term health effects of morbid obesity?
Morbidly obese patients have a shorter life expectancy. There are also significant social, psychological and health consequences to being morbidly obese. Obese individuals may suffer from type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, sleep apnea, reflux, urinary incontinence, depression, leg swelling, skin breakdown, and blood clots.

Why should I consider weight loss surgery?
Studies have demonstrated that non-surgical weight loss plans that include diet, exercise, and behavior modification are ineffective for the vast majority of morbidly obese patients. In fact, 90% of patients regain within a year the weight they worked so hard to lose. Obesity surgery has produced real and lasting weight loss for many who have failed to lose otherwise. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the gastric bypass operation results in sustained weight loss of 50-75% of excess body weight.

Surgery often improves or cures medical conditions associated with morbid obesity including: diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, joint pain and arthritis, reflux, and urinary incontinence.

How does weight loss surgery work? There are several different operations for weight loss. These operations work by restriction (decreasing food intake), malabsorption (bypassing part of the small intestine), or a combination of the two. Restrictive operations such as the lap band are reversible, well-tolerated, and may be appropriate for certain patients. Gastric bypass is performed as an open or laparoscopic procedure. This operation creates a small gastric pouch (restriction) and bypasses part of the small intestine (malabsorption). These operations are tools for patients to consume or absorb fewer calories and therefore achieve weight loss.

Am I a candidate for weight loss surgery?
Surgery is generally reserved for patients with a BMI greater than 40, a BMI greater than 35 with two related comorbidities (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc.), and failure of traditional diets. Most insurance plans require that patients have tried and failed a six-month medically supervised program within the last two years. Many plans require psychological evaluations prior to approval for gastric bypass surgery. The Surgical Clinic accepts most insurance providers. Call your claims representative to learn if you have obesity surgery benefits.

The last word...
Remember that weight loss surgery does not work for everyone and is associated with significant risks. For successful outcomes, patients must be willing to embrace permanent changes in lifestyle and commit to long-term follow up care.

To learn more, call our office (615) 329-7887 ext. 224, and/or e-mail dsimms@tsclinic.com, then attend one of our free "Obesity Surgery" seminars.

To visit The Surgical Clinic's related website, visit www.obesitytsc.com.

To visit the Baptist Metabolic Surgery Center website - Click Here

References:
National Institutes of Health "Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity. NIH Consensus Statement." 25-27, March 1991. nih.gov/nih/cdc/www/84txt

American Society for Bariatric Surgery. "Rationale for the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity." (online) 8 April 1998. www.asbs.org

Wittgrove AC, Clark GW. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Roux en Y- 500 patients... Obesity Surgery 2000 June; 10(3): 233-9.