If you have tried everything possible and still can't lose the weight, it may be time to consider bariatric surgery says Dr. Alfred Trang, a bariatric and minimally invasive surgeon at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. He says the typical patient has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 and above, is 100-pounds overweight and has additional medical problems. He adds, if a person is ready to make the lifelong commitment necessary for this type of surgery, the results can be worthwhile.
Dr. Trang performs gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy on patients between 18 and 75 years of age. In bypass surgery, physicians create a new stomach pouch that bypasses nearly 80-percent of the existing stomach. Sleeve gastrectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that removes nearly 75-percent of the patient's stomach, which limits the amount of food a patient can eat. He says both surgeries are effective and the patient and doctor work together to determine which is the best option.
Prior to surgery, a patient meets with a bariatric psychologist, to understand the changes she, her family and friends will make to embrace this new way of eating and living. The patient's other doctors are consulted, to make sure the person is healthy enough for surgery. There are meetings with a bariatric dietitian, and medical insurance guidelines must be followed. He says some health insurances require pre-surgical education and courses. Following the procedure, a new healthy diet is encouraged and there are routine follow-ups with the surgeon to continue the lifelong relationship.