Diets and exercise are sometimes not enough for people to lose weight. They may need to try something Surgery. As bariatric surgeons, we tell people when to look for a different treatment. There are many different types of bariatric surgery, like gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, lap-band, and gastric balloon surgery. The choice is up to the patient’s unique medical situation. There is a lot of misinformation in the community that bariatric surgery is dangerous. It’s also possible that someone else had the surgery and didn’t lose enough weight because not everyone can have surgery. As health care providers, we can help people with illnesses caused by obesity by educating them about the facts so that they don’t get mixed up.
Is there a weight limit for people who want to have bariatric surgery?
Having a high body mass index (BMI) is the main sign that a person needs surgery, making it more likely that insurance will pay for it. According to the National Institute of Health, if someone is at least 100 pounds overweight, has tried to lose weight many times, and has a BMI of 30 or more, they could be a candidate.
People have bariatric surgery at what age?
In general, people are between 40 and 45 years old. If you have the surgery, you don’t need to be a certain age to get it done. At Jackson, we treat people as young as 14 and people who are 70 and older. We also treat people who are younger than 14.
How important is it to change one’s way of life after having surgery?
It is one of the best things we can do to help people who are unhealthy and obese lose a lot of weight. Bariatric surgery is one of them. You need to lose about 80% to 90% of your stomach weight to get long-term results. Even if you make long-term changes, the surgery will only work for a short time unless you change your habits.
The patient needs to exercise and eat the right amount and calories to stay healthy. Four to six months before the surgery, our medical staff helps patients change their habits. If people don’t follow my instructions before the surgery, we have to put it off. Candidates need to make sure the surgery is what they want and are willing to do it. We can all work together to make sure the weight-loss journey goes well.
Where else should patients go if they need medical care?
Jackson Health System’s bariatric surgeons made South Florida’s only surgical weight-loss program that only deals with sleeve gastrectomy – the Gastric Sleeve Centers at Jackson North Medical Center and Jackson South Medical Center, which are both in the Jackson Health System.
Jackson South and Jackson North are both Centers of Excellence in bariatric surgery, with very few complications. It is a lot less than the national average. We do a lot of surgeries and procedures, and this is what we do every day. We do about 80 to 90 surgeries and procedures each month. Ensuring that the surgery is done at a Center of Excellence makes a big difference. The staff is very well-trained, and patients need to see qualified people. A team of specialists and other people work at Jackson. This team includes doctors and nurses and psychologists, nutritionists, and other people who help people. The facilities are also well-equipped for recovery, and there is always someone who can help you if you need it.
What do you like best about your job?
The reason I chose this field of work is that it’s gratifying. If you’re a doctor, it’s fantastic when a patient says thank you for giving them their life back. I’ve seen nothing like it. To no longer see people taking medicine because of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or sleep apnea, there’s nothing like it to see them healthy.
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