For people whose weight has climbed to 100 pounds or more than their ideal weight range and who have tried dieting, exercise and even appetite-reducing drugs, there is perhaps another option. Bariatric surgery—or gastric bypass surgery—has helped men, women and even children lose excess weight that just hasn’t come off by more conservative means. Sinai Hospital now offers this procedure through its Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
Bariatric surgery is no quick fix, warns Alex Gandsas, M.D., who heads the program at Sinai. In fact, before one is accepted to the program, potential candidates undergo extensive evaluation and screening by a team of specialists in psychiatry, cardiology, internal medicine, and food and nutrition.
“This surgery is only for people who find that their excessive weight is adversely affecting their quality of life,” Gandsas says. “They can no longer play with their children, their joints ache, their backs ache, and they are at risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.”
During gastric bypass, small incisions are made between the breastbone and navel. Part of the stomach, about the size of an egg, is permanently sectioned off. A portion of small intestine is cut and one limb of intestine is re-routed up to this smaller stomach. The other limb of small intestine (leading from the remainder of the stomach) is reattached to a point farther down the small intestine. The lower stomach still functions to produce important digestive juices that are emptied into the small intestine. After surgery, the patient will be satisfied with smaller portions, will absorb fewer calories and will lose his or her craving for sweets.
Although surgery is the only proven way for severely obese individuals to lose weight, it is no magic bullet. Ultimate success depends on the patient’s dedication to a new lifestyle, which includes commitment to a sensible low-fat diet, exercise and nutritional supplements for life. If all goes well, patients can lose up to 80 percent of their excess weight by the anniversary date of the original surgery.
To be considered for gastric bypass surgery, one must be more than 100 pounds overweight and have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater (or 35 and higher with another condition, such as diabetes). A quick and easy BMI calculator may be found online at www.lifebridgehealth.org.
For more information about Sinai’s Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, call 410-601-WELL (9355).
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Sinai’s Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery
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