A Surgical Solution to Obesity
from BestHealth, April 2004
Obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, with 97 million adults classified as overweight or obese.
As the second leading cause of preventable death (smoking is the leading cause), obesity poses major health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease and some types of cancers.
Those facts came as no surprise to Nicole Slomka of Winston-Salem. She and her family have dealt with morbid obesity her whole life. At 25 years old, Nicole weighed 336 pounds and suffered from asthma, sleep apnea and joint and back pain.
She had tried many types of dieting with no lasting success. She researched other options and that’s when she found the bariatric surgery program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Opened in May of 2003, the bariatric surgery program offers the services of Adolfo (“Fuzz”) Fernandez, M.D., a surgeon with surgical and laparoscopic fellowship training, and Carl Westcott, M.D., fellowship-trained in laparoscopy and experienced in advanced laparoscopic surgery.
The procedure of choice here is laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the most widely studied and accepted bariatric surgery. The minimally invasive procedure requires 5-7 small, abdominal incisions to create an egg-sized stomach pouch. Food then bypasses the lower stomach and parts of the small intestine.
This small stomach pouch restricts the amount and type of food the patient can consume, leading to an average weight loss of 60-70 percent of the patient’s excess weight. The weight loss can be maintained with strict compliance with a comprehensive program of diet, exercise and attention to the behavioral issues of overeating.
Since Slomka had the surgery last October, she has lost more than 100 pounds.
“The first few months were hard for me to detach from eating—in addition to the heredity factors, I was an emotional eater,” said Slomka. “But today I feel wonderful. I never thought I’d have the energy I have, and I’m enjoying life with my 2-year-old son. I’ve become an advocate for others dealing with weight problems and can’t say enough good things about the staff and program at Wake Forest Baptist.”
Gastric Bypass: Patient Profile
To be considered for gastric bypass surgery, patients must:
· have made multiple attempts to lose weight, including structured programs through nationally recognized organizations or physician supervised programs;
· weigh at least 100 pounds over their ideal weight with a Body Mass Index of >35 with associated health risks or >40 with no current additional health risks;
· be motivated to undergo a change in lifestyle and eating habits;
· have the approval of their primary care physician;
· be willing to work collaboratively with a supportive healthcare team interested in their successful journey to a healthier lifestyle;
· be between 18-55 years old.
Click here to learn more about our Weight Management Program, including bariatric surgery.