The Medical Center is now offering the Surgical Weight Loss Program, the first surgery program to treat severe obesity in Southcentral Kentucky. With this new service, patients will no longer have to travel outside the region for minimally-invasive weight loss surgery.
“Obesity is a serious health risk that can lead to a wide range of chronic health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea and more,” said Connie D. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Health Corporation, the parent company of The Medical Center. “The Medical Center Surgical Weight Loss Program will address this growing national problem and help severely obese patients in Southcentral Kentucky improve their health and quality of life.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity rates have rapidly increased over the last 25 years. It is estimated that over 30 percent of Kentucky’s population is obese. Patients are considered obese if their body mass index (BMI), which takes into account a person’s height and weight, is over 30. Severely obese is defined as a BMI of 35 to 39.9 and morbidly obese as a BMI over 40.
For a patient to be a candidate for weight loss surgery, they must meet specific criteria. A candidate must have a BMI of 40 or more. A BMI of 35 may qualify if other high-risk conditions exist, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Nonsurgical treatments such as dietary programs, behavior modification and exercise have been unsuccessful for the candidate. A candidate must fully understand the surgery, its benefits and risks; be willing to make lifestyle changes to diet and exercise; and, commit to medical follow-up.
The Medical Center worked with John S. Oldham, Jr., M.D., FACS, FASMBS and G. Derek Weiss, M.D., FACS, FASMBS, bariatric surgeons with Bluegrass Bariatric Surgical Associates (BBSA) to establish the Surgical Weight Loss Program. BBSA is a leader in minimally-invasive weight loss surgery, having established successful weight loss surgery programs throughout Kentucky.
“The goal of bariatric surgery is to live better, healthier, and longer,” said Dr. John Oldham. “The technically advanced, experienced surgeons at Bluegrass Bariatrics feel strongly that surgery for the debilitating, chronic disease of morbid obesity should be performed in the safest, least invasive means possible. That is why we perform all of our bariatric procedures laparoscopically, a technically challenging minimally-invasive method proven to have less complications than traditional ‘open’ bariatric surgical procedures.”
The Medical Center Surgical Weight Loss Program offers a variety of minimally-invasive surgery options including Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band, Gastric Sleeve and ROSE procedure. Each option limits the amount of food a person can eat or decreases the absorption of food, and some options do both.
Because surgery is just one component of a successful weight loss strategy, patients can expect up to six months of preparation before surgery takes place. Surgery is supported by a comprehensive program that includes nutritional counseling, psychological counseling and support group meetings.
Understanding the various surgery options, the benefits and risks, and the program requirements are essential for a weight loss surgery candidate. Free informational seminars are held each month in The Medical Center Auditorium. A bariatric surgeon discusses the surgery options and program components, and an insurance specialist is available to discuss costs, insurance coverage and financing options. The next seminar will be held on Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m. Participants can register online at www.TheMedicalCenter.org or call 270-796-6333.
