welcome to the northwestern medicine weight loss surgery program
we are committed to providing you with the education you need for long-term success
after weight loss surgery this program is made up of two modules
part one will explain the northwestern medicine program overview and treatment options part 2
will give you information about how the northwestern medicine program works let's begin
this first module will provide information about the northwestern medicine weight loss surgery
program and the team that will be caring for you how obesity affects you and what we can do
to treat it we will also talk about the types of weight loss surgery that may be available to you
if you suffer from severe obesity and cannot lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise
weight loss surgery also known as bariatric surgery might be right for you this module
will help you decide if weight loss surgery in the northwestern medicine bariatric program
can help you take big steps toward making a permanent lifestyle change we are committed to
providing the highest level of patient care every step of the way we are here to help you reach
your goal of healthy long-lasting weight loss you can choose where you decide to have your surgery
at northwestern medicine we are certified by the metabolic and bariatric surgery accreditation
and quality improvement program this means that our program meets the standards for the best care
for patients undergoing bariatric surgery some of these standards include performing a certain
number of surgeries we meet this standard by doing a large number of bariatric surgeries
we also meet the standards for quality and safety in the way we care for our patients
insurance companies provide better coverage for hospitals that are designated
centers for excellence we have received approval from blue cross blue shield
cigna and aetna insurance carriers our insurance specialists can help you with this information
it takes more than you and your physician to achieve weight loss success our bariatric surgery
team includes many dedicated healthcare providers to meet the many different needs of our patients
team will work with you throughout your weight loss journey
our center has a dedicated team of board certified bariatric surgeons with more than
10 years of bariatric surgery experience our other specialists include nurse practitioners
and physician assistants obesity medicine specialists dietitians and health psychologists
who have experience meeting the unique needs of our patients on their journey to weight loss
we also refer to other specialists at northwestern medicine based on the needs of each patient
weight loss surgery can be an effective weight loss solution for patients who are severely obese
and who have tried to lose weight but have not been successful in the past
during weight loss surgery the physicians operate on the stomach to make it smaller we
have done more than 5000 bariatric surgeries since the beginning of the program in 1999.
that's about 250 operations a year we offer a variety of surgical weight loss procedures
and our goal is to offer the least invasive options the majority of the surgeries we
perform are laparoscopic avoiding the need for one large incision in the belly
laparoscopic surgery is done by making to six small incisions in the belly using a camera
in tiny instruments to complete the procedure laparoscopic surgery has benefits that may
include a shorter hospital stay easier recovery and less pain we will talk about the choices for
the type of surgery a little later obesity is a health concern that is increasing worldwide
about two-thirds of adults in america are considered overweight or obese we will now talk a
little bit about how obesity affects your health and what we can do to treat it what is obesity
obesity is defined as having a body mass index or bmi greater than 30.
your bmi is calculated based on your height and weight if you are obese
it's important for you to get treatment obesity can lead to a number of serious health conditions
and illnesses it affects your quality of life being able to do things you may like to do
as a person's bmi increases so do their chances of health concerns certain health concerns
like diabetes and high blood pressure are made even worse by increased weight obesity can also
affect how long you live this is true no matter what your gender race or age is obesity affects
just about every part of your body it puts you at risk for a number of health concerns and illnesses
some of the illnesses are listed here do you have any concerns that are on the list
losing weight can help and sometimes get rid of some of these problems
if you are obese it is important for you to get treatment to improve your health
diet changes and an exercise program are usually the first steps
medical treatments may include prescription medications to curb hunger or burn fat
some patients have found success with treatments to change their eating habits
these treatments do not always work to help a person lose weight and keep the
weight off taking off weight and keeping it off without surgery can be very difficult
if other treatments have failed to help you reach your weight loss goals
weight loss surgery might be an option for you compared to non-surgical treatment studies show
that those who have had weight loss surgery are more successful with long-term weight loss
weight loss surgery may help patients who have failed other therapies overall health improves
and patients may live longer too following weight loss weight loss surgery can be done
as laparoscopic surgery which means it is minimally invasive the number of americans
choosing weight loss surgery as a way to lose weight and keep it off has been increasing
those who want to have weight loss surgery must meet certain criteria to join the program
first your bmi must be greater than 40 or greater than 35 with an illness related to obesity
you must show that you have tried other ways to lose weight but did not succeed your physician
must evaluate you to make sure that you are not at high risk for complications from surgery
this means you do not have a severe disease that makes surgery too risky
if you are high risk the team can look for ways to help you reduce your risk
one of the most important things to think about is the pledge to lose weight
you must commit to understanding and following the program our program details will be discussed
in part two of this presentation weight loss behaviors such as healthy eating and exercise
should start as soon as possible before surgery we will now talk about the types of bariatric
surgeries that are available at northwestern medicine weight loss or bariatric surgery
is done to help severely obese patients who have tried to lose weight but have not been successful
during weight loss surgeries the doctors operate on the stomach to make it smaller
this helps patients feel full more quickly so that they will eat less we will talk
about two types of weight loss surgery roux and y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy
you and your doctor will decide what type of surgery is right for you laparoscopic
ruin y gastric bypass surgery was first performed about 20 years ago this type of surgery
has the most success for helping patients lose weight and keep it off the top of the stomach
is closed off to become the size of a small pouch this limits the amount of food that can be eaten
the small intestine is connected to the new pouch and the disconnected stomach and
intestines are joined at a lower place this lets important juices for digestion from the stomach
pancreas and liver flow into the digestive system nothing is actually removed from your body
as with all surgeries this surgery has benefits and risks roon y has the best success rate for
long-term weight loss it can also help improve diabetes roux and y also has some risks
there is a very small chance that leaking can occur around the stitches used to connect the
pieces of the stomach and intestines together fixing this would require another surgery
another complication is when a narrowing of the intestines happens at the connection site
this is called a stricture a stricture can be helped with an endoscopic dilation procedure
to do this your surgeon would pass a tube down your throat
and into the area to gently stretch and enlarge the opening this is done while you are sedated
another possible complication is an obstruction in the intestines caused by the rerouting this
is often fixed with another surgery also your body may not be able to process vitamins and minerals
as well as it did before surgery this may lead to poor nutrition and other health concerns
your physician can keep track of the levels of vitamins and minerals
through regular blood tests after your surgery this is one reason why eating a healthy diet
high in protein and taking all your recommended vitamins before and after surgery are important
another type of weight loss surgery is called a sleeve gastrectomy
the operation removes part of the stomach
the stomach that is left is a narrow tube that limits the amount of food
that can be eaten at one time less food means fewer calories which means weight loss unlike
rue and y food can't continue to pass through the intestines nothing is bypassed sleeve gastrectomy
also has risks and benefits sleeve gastrectomy offers good long-term weight loss results
although patients who have had sleeve gastrectomy may not lose as much weight as those who have roo
and y sleeve gastrectomy is generally a safer and faster procedure than roux and y gastric bypass
let's look at some of the risks like roux and y there is a chance of leaking around the incision
also this procedure may worsen or cause acid reflux disease or heartburn symptoms
here you can look at a comparison of the two surgeries ruin y is about a two to three hour
surgery with a two to three day recovery time in the hospital sleeve gastrectomy
is about a one to two hour surgery with a one to two day recovery time in the hospital
as you can see each type of surgery has pros and cons that need to be considered
when choosing a procedure that's right for you roo and y has a higher risk of complications than
sleep gastrectomy but you are also likely to lose more weight and keep the weight off following roux
and y compared to sleeve gastrectomy if you are ready to take the next steps towards weight loss
through bariatric surgery view part two of this presentation which explains the program process
you