ALLOWED
ALLOWED OUR CAMERAS INTO THE HOSPITAL AND OPERATING ROOM.
>> Reporter: THEY SAY TODAY IS
LIKE A SECOND BIRTHDAY.>> I AM
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS. >> THIS IS YOUR PATIENT ID
NUMBER.
NUMBER.
NUMBER. >> Reporter: IT IS FRIDAY
MORNING, AUGUST 3. TODAY IS THE
DAY THAT CHRIS WILL GET A
SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE.
>> WE ARE GOING TO DO A
LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC BYPASS.
>> Reporter: GASTRIC BYPASS, A
SURGERY THAT WILL HELP CHRIS
LOSE HALF HIS WEIGHT.>> IT WAS
SURREAL WHEN MY WEIGHT GOT AS
HIGH AS IT IT.
>> Reporter: HE HAS BEEN
OVERWEIGHT HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
AS EACH YEAR WENT BY, THE
NUMBERS ON THE SCALE KEPT GOING
UP UNTIL ONE DAY, CHRIS WADE
MORE THAN 400 POUNDS.
-- CHRIS WHICH THEY WAIT OF
MORE THAN 400 POUNDS -- REACHED
A WEIGHT OF MORE THAN 400
POUNDS.>> BROKEN CHAIRS, TOILET
SEATS.
SEATS.
SEATS. >>
SEATS. >> Reporter: AS A FATHER OF A 4-
YEAR-OLD, HE WOULD FIND HIMSELF
OUT OF BREATH TRYING TO KEEP UP
WITH HER.>> I CAN MONITOR HER
AT THE PARK BUT, IF I WERE TO
TRY, FIVE MINUTES AND I AM
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. >>
DONE. >> Reporter: HE TRIED DIETING
AND EXERCISING LOSING WEIGHT
AND GAINING IT BACK AND MORE.>>
IF I DO NOT DO SOMETHING
DRASTIC, IF I DO NOT
SUPERCHARGE MY WEIGHT LOSS, HOW
LONG DO I HAVE?
>> Reporter: THAT IS WHY HE IS
HERE FOR AN OPERATION THAT WILL
HELP HIM LOSE THE WEIGHT HE
COULD NOT ON HIS OWN.
THIS DOCTOR IS PERFORMING THE
SURGERY COMMONLY KNOWN AS
GASTRIC BYPASS.
GASTRIC BYPASS. WE WERE IN THE OPERATING ROOM
FOR THE PROCEDURE WATCHING AS
THE SURGEON WORKS TO CONNECT
THE SMALL INTESTINE TO A NEW,
SMALLER STOMACH POUCH.
>> THE FOOD WILL GO DOWN THE
ESOPHAGUS INTO THAT LITTLE
POUCH AND THEN INTO HIS
INTESTINES.
INTESTINES. >> Reporter: BY CHANGING THE
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM IT CHANGES THE
WAY CHRIS ABSORBS AND DIGESTS
FOOD.
FOOD.
FOOD. HIS
FOOD. HIS SMALLER STOMACH WILL LIMIT
THE AMOUNT OF FOOD HE CAN EAT.
HIS BODY WILL ABSORB FEWER
CALORIES AND HE WILL ALSO FEEL
LESS HUNGRY.>> WHEN HE EATS AND
DRINKS, INSTEAD OF HAVING A
STOMACH THAT IS TO LEADERS --
TWO LEADERS
TWO LEADERS >> TWO LITRES -- TWO LITRES.
IT IS PRETTY ROUTINE.
>> Reporter: RECOVERY IS ABOUT
TWO DAYS.
TWO DAYS.
TWO DAYS. IT IS A SURGERY THE DOCTOR
CONSIDERS TO BE A LIFESAVING
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. HE HAS SEEN MANY PATIENTS'
HEALTH CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
>> THE SURGERY IS THE ONLY LONG-
TERM TREATMENT SOLUTION TO
SOMEONE WHO IS TRYING TO LOSE
THIS MUCH WEIGHT.
>> Reporter: WITHOUT THE
SURGERY, THE DOCTOR SAYS IT IS
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR PATIENTS
LIKE CHRIS TO LOSE THE WEIGHT
AND KEEP IT OFF LONG-TERM.
>> MOST OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE
LOST 20 POUNDS FIVE OR 10 TIMES
IN THEIR LIFE.
THEY HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND
THEY CAN DO IT AGAIN.
THERE IS A CERTAIN POINT WHEN
THEY STOP LOSING.
>> Reporter: CHRIS SAYS HE
KNOWS SOME MAY LOOK AT GASTRIC
BYPASS AS CHEATING OR THE EASY
WAY OUT.
WAY OUT.
WAY OUT. BUT, FOR HIM, IT IS NOT.
STARTING TODAY, ON THIS SECOND
BIRTHDAY, LIFE WILL NOT EVER BE
THE SAME.
THE SAME.
THE SAME. CHRIS WILL HAVE TO COMPLETELY
CHANGE THE WAY HE EATS AND
THINKS ABOUT FOOD WORK -- ABOUT
FOOD IN ORDER TO BENEFIT FROM
THE OPERATION.
THE OPERATION. THE HARD WORK IS JUST
BEGINNING.>> IT WILL NOT BE
EASY OR FUN.
IT WILL BE PROBABLY
UNCOMFORTABLE AND PAINFUL.
AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS WHAT I
HAVE TO DO.
>> Reporter: THE SURGERY CAN
COST ABOUT $25,000.
CHRIS SAYS HE CERTAINLY WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE
SURGERY IF HIS INSURANCE DID
NOT COVER IT.
THAT WAS CRUCIAL.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT INSURANCE.
DOES IT COVER IT FOR EVERYONE?
>> Reporter: WE LEARNED IT IS
COVERED FOR STATE EMPLOYEES IN
OUR STATE.
OUR STATE. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND THOSE ON
MEDICAID AS LONG AS PATIENCE
MEET THE CRITERIA.
ONLY 23 STATES REQUIRE THEIR
HEALTHCARE EXCHANGES TO --
REQUIRE HEALTHCARE'S -- WEIGHT
LOSS SURGERY AS PART OF THE
PLAN.
PLAN.
PLAN. WASHINGTON IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
TOMORROW, WE WILL CONTINUE THE
SERIES AND SHOW YOU WHAT CHRIS
LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
HE WILL BE JOINING US TOMORROW
MORNING FOR OUR FACEBOOK LIVE.
TEXT AS YOUR QUESTIONS.
THE SURGEON WILL ALSO BE
JOINING US.
JOINING US. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CHRIS
OR THE SURGEON