Surgical Treatment for Obesity

In 1991 bariatric surgery was recognized by the National Institute of Health Consensus Panel as a viable method for inducing weight loss when a person is overweight to the point of being at medical risk. The clinical term for this condition is morbid obesity. Health professionals view it as a disease with serious medical, physical, social and psychological effects, not as a lack of will-power or self-control.

Examples of obesity-related illnesses include Respiratory Dysfunction,Hypertension, Cardiac Dysfunction, Diabetes, Arthritis, Urinary Stress Incontinence, Hyperlipidemia, Gall Bladder Disease, and Menstrual Irregularities.

A person may be considered for surgery if they are 100 lbs. overweight or their Body Mass Index is greater than 40 and they have attempted at least TWO SUPERVISED diets.

More than four million Americans suffer from morbid obesity, and most of them have been frustrated by unsuccessful diet and weight loss programs. If you fall into this category, understand that it was the treatments that failed, not you. Non-surgical weight control methods are usually ineffective at providing long-term weight loss for morbidly obese people. But surgery is a different story.

At JFK Medical Center, our services include:

• Monthly orientations
• Private consultation with surgeon
• Pre- and post-operative nutritional counseling
• Assistance with insurance authorization
• Monthly support groups (key to long term success)

The surgical procedure offered at JFK Medical Center is called the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. It is an operation performed under general anesthesia in which the surgeon partitions the stomach with a special type of stapler, creating a small pouch. This effectively reduces stomach capacity to less than 2-3% of its original volume from the size of a cantaloupe to about the size of an egg! The surgical procedure takes 2 - 2 1/2 hours and patients can usually return to work in three to four weeks.

Naturally when the size of the stomach is reduced the amount of food that can be eaten decreases along with it. A person who has had the surgery gets the same sense of satisfaction and fullness from a little snack that previously came only from a full meal.

In addition to the stomach reduction, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is surgically attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the first two segments of the upper small intestine. This reduces the absorption of calories and nutrients.

At JFK Medical Center we believe the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass offers patients the MOST effective form of surgical treatment with the lowest risk of subsequent problems and complications. Long term follow-up studies done on the procedure indicate that it is safe and effective for most people.

Immediately after the surgery, most patients begin losing weight rapidly and continue to do so for up to two years after the procedure. Some degree of weight regain is common two to five years after the operation, but regaining all of it is rare. Most patients lose and keep off at least 70% of their excess weight.

Along with losing the weight, medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, elevated cholesterol, gastroesophageal reflux disease and sleep apnea commonly improve after the surgery.

No major surgery is without risk. Among the potential complications are bleeding, wound infection, pneumonia, blood clots or bowel obstructions, all of which can be effectively treated.

At JFK Medical Center we strongly believe that the benefits of weight loss surgery outweigh the risks by a wide margin, but ultimately the decision is up to you and your doctor.

After we review your case we will provide your insurance company with your obesity data and a prior authorization letter to see if they will cover the surgery. There are a number of insurance companies that will cover it. In many cases their decision depends on your previous weight loss attempts and other health related problems associated with your obesity.

You¹ve already taken it by reviewing this information. Next, if you have not already done so, discuss the idea with your personal physician. We encourage you to attend one of our monthly orientations with a family member or a friend. Here you will have an opportunity to meet the surgeon, ask questions and talk to former patients. To arrange a free consultation or to register for the orientation, call (561) 649.0243. We welcome your call today!