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The surgical weight loss management program team at Hahnemann is led by Andres Castellanos, M.D., medical director, here in Philadelphia. All of the members of the weight loss surgery team--pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, and weight loss surgeons—are directly involved in evaluating the potential patients for weight loss surgery.
Each member of the weight loss surgery team is dedicated to conveying their expertise to the bariatric surgery patient, giving them the tools and guidance they may need to achieve individual optimal success.
The weight loss surgical team routinely performs both the traditional open technique and laparoscopic surgery, depending on the patient’s individual needs. The physicians will talk to you about what approach is appropriate for you.
Learn more about our Surgical Weight Loss Program by attending one of our community education seminars. To register for one of our seminars, click here or call us at 1-866-884-4HUH (1-866-884-4484).
Read a testimonial from one of our patients.
Below are some commonly asked questions involved in an individual’s decision to pursue weight loss surgery.
Morbid obesity is a serious medical condition. If you are morbidly obese, it means that you are severely overweight, usually by at least 100 pounds. It also means that you have excessive amounts of body fat compared to healthy standards.
Knowing whether or not you are morbidly obese is important. This condition puts you at very high risk for a host of serious medical problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Being morbidly obese may also hamper your ability to get around, expose you to possible discrimination or social stigma and may lower your self-esteem.
If you are morbidly obese, you should remember three important points:
- Morbid obesity is not a sign of weakness, laziness or gluttony. It is a serious medical condition with serious medical consequences. Current research suggests that many factors work together to influence your weight. These include genetics, your eating habits as a child and adult, hormones and psychological factors.
- You are not alone. Approximately 65 percent of all Americans are considered overweight, about 25 percent are considered obese, and about four percent are considered morbidly obese.
- There is hope. Resources are available to help you avoid the medical consequences of morbid obesity.
A good way to assess your weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Your BMI estimates how much you should weigh based on your height. Here are the steps to calculate it:
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
- Divide that answer by your height in inches.
- Divide that answer by your height in inches again.
For example, a woman who weighs 270 pounds and is 68 inches tall has a BMI of 41.0.
Use the chart below to see what category you fall into and whether you need to be concerned about your weight.
BMI CATEGORY
| Below 18.5 |
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Underweight |
| 18.5-24.9 |
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Normal |
| 25.0-29.9 |
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Overweight |
| 30.0 and Above |
|
Obese |
| More than 40 |
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Morbidly Obese |
Although your BMI is a simple way to evaluate whether your weight puts you at potential risk for health problems, a lot of other factors may also affect your health. These include:
- general health history
- level of physical activity
- diet
- waist measurement
- smoking history
- family health history
- blood pressure
- blood sugar
- blood cholesterol levels
Your healthcare provider can help you to evaluate your BMI and thee other factors to determine your overall health picture.
If you are morbidly obese, you have a much greater risk of developing a variety of serious medical conditions compared to individuals who are not obese. You may develop health problems at a younger age. Some of these conditions may include:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
- Angina
- Congestive heart failure
- Stroke
- Arthritis
- Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea
- Back pain
- Pregnancy complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia and the need for a C-section delivery
- Menstrual irregularity and infertility in women
- Bladder problems
- Gallstones
- Kidney stones
- Liver disease
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Gout
- Poor eat tolerance
- Complications and infections after surgery
- Skin infections
- Depression and eating disorders
- Endometrial, breast, prostate, kidney, esophageal and colon cancers
- Premature death
If I am morbidly obese, what actions do I take now?
Morbid obesity is a life-threatening medical condition. Gaining control over this serious health problem requires a commitment of your time, attention energy and efforts.
Only after you have tried every possible method in your fight against obesity, including nutrition, exercise and medical expertise, you and your doctor may consider weight loss surgery.
Who is a candidate for weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery)?
To be accepted for weight loss surgery (such as gastric bypass surgery), you need to meet certain criteria. Your must:
- Be between 18 and 65 years old
- Be either severely obese (100 pounds or more overweight, with a BMI of 40 or more) OR obese with associated complications (a BMI of 35 or more, with a condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease).
- Have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight through a structured, medical weight loss program that included diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
- Be experiencing personal or occupational problems due to obesity
- Undergo a psychological evaluation and counseling to determine that you are emotionally healthy enough to understand the ramifications of your decision
- Be willing and able to commit to long-term medical follow-up, as well as rigorous, lifelong changes in eating, exercise and lifestyle habits that will be necessary to meet and maintain your weight loss and health goals after surgery.
For more information on obesity or surgical weight loss, visit these Web sites:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Medline Plus
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
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