Posts Tagged ‘Weight Loss Surgery’

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Weight Loss Surgery May Help Obese Adolescents

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

HappyKids2

Childhood obesity is a serious and growing problem. Over the past 30 years, obesity rates among children have tripled. A recent study In the Journal of American Medical Association shows that gastric banding surgery, such as LAP-BAND®, can and have been, more effective than traditional weight loss programs promoting diet and exercise.

The February 10th issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) reported that gastric banding may be more effective for achieving weight loss than lifestyle changes1.

The randomized controlled trial conducted by Paul E. O’Brien, M.D, FRACS, and colleagues of Monash University and the Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, included 50 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18, with a BMI higher than 35. Twenty five patients underwent laparoscopic gastric banding, while the remaining 25 entered a program of lifestyle intervention. This program included increased activity level, behavior modification and reduced calorie intake. Participants in both groups were followed for two years. (May 2005-September 2008).

Twenty four of the patients in the surgical group completed the study while 18 in the lifestyle group completed the program.

The study revealed that the gastric banding group lost an average of 76 pounds. This is an overall average loss of 28 percent of total body weight and 79 percent of excess weight. The lifestyle group lost an average of 6.6 pounds or an average of 3.1 percent total weight loss and 13 percent excess weight loss.

“At entry, 9 participants (36 %) in the gastric banding group and 10 (40%) in the lifestyle group had the metabolic syndrome. At 24 months, none of the gastric banding group had the metabolic syndrome compared with 4 of the 18 completers (22%) in the lifestyle group,” the authors noted.

“In this study, gastric banding proved to be an effective intervention leading to a substantial and durable reduction in obesity and to better health. The adolescent and parents must understand the importance of careful adherence to recommended eating behaviors and of seeking early consultation if symptoms of reflux, heartburn, or vomiting occur. As importantly, they should be in a setting in which they can maintain contact with health professionals who understand the process of care. This study indicates that, in such a setting, the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding process can achieve important improvements in weight, health, and quality of life in severely obese adolescents,” the researchers concluded.

You can get more information on weight loss surgery such as gastric banding, gastric bypass or medically supervised weight loss programs by contacting one of our patient advocates today. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping you reach your weight loss goals. Register for a free seminar and see which one of our weight loss programs has proven to be the most effective for weight loss in adolescent patients in Louisiana.

1. O’Brien, Paul E., et al. (2010). Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding in Severely Obese Adolescents. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(6):519-526.

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Food Labels – A Primer: Part Two

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Nutirtion facts

Are you taking the time to learn what exactly is in the food you eat? Last week the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana shared the first part of a feature article by Jacqueline Jacques, ND that explained the types of items consumers should look for in a food label. This week are are pleased to share the conclusion of this article and reprinted with the permission of the Obesity Action Coalition.

The Nutrition Facts Box

If you know what to look at, the Nutrition Facts Box actually provides a lot of information.
Nutrition Information that Should be Present in the Nutrition Facts Box

Mandatory Items:

• Total calories
• Calories from fat
• Total fat
• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Total carbohydrate
• Sugars
• Protein
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron

Non- mandatory items that should be included:

• Calories from saturated fat
• Polyunsaturated fat
• Monounsaturated fat
• Potassium
• Dietary fiber
• Soluble fiber
• Insoluble fiber
• Sugar alcohol (i.e. xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol)
• Other carbohydrate (difference between total carbohydrate and sum of dietary fiber, sugars, and sugar alcohol if declared)
• Percent of vitamin A present as beta-carotene
• Other essential vitamins and minerals

From the top of the box, you can start by looking at the serving size and the number of servings in a container. For products like bread, where the serving is usually one slice, this is typically easy to understand. For foods that don’t come in neat portions, consumers often do not use the serving size that the manufacturer recommends.

A great example is cereal. For many cereals, the serving size is 1/3 to 1/2 cup. That’s about a medium handful for most adults – and it doesn’t even come close to filling your cereal bowl. When pouring cereal, many of use three to four times the “serving” size. Same goes for foods like juice, pasta, chips, crackers, nuts, ice cream and other things where the serving size may differ a lot from what most people eat.

Two examples that I find bothersome are bottled drinks and nutrition bars. Many bottled drinks (from juice to soda) and packaged bars that look like single servings are actually 1 ½ to 2 servings per container. So, if you eat the entire contents of the package, you need to multiply the calories, fat content, etc by 1.5 or 2 to know what you are actually eating.

Everything else in the Nutrition Facts box is based on a single serving of the product – not on the amount that you typically eat. As you move through the box, keep this in mind. If you are trying to limit calories, fat, salt (sodium) or cholesterol, you can now much more easily know how much you are getting. If you want to make sure you get enough protein or fiber every day, you can see that as well.

Finally, you can also use the box to know how much iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C you are getting each day. Other nutrients such as B-vitamins, vitamin E, D, K, and most minerals are not required, but can be listed voluntarily by the manufacturer.

You also see some percentages (%) in the Nutrition Facts box. These percentages tell you that for the listed nutrients how much of the Recommended Daily Value you get with a serving of that food. The Daily Value (DV) is the suggested amount of a nutrient (a vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, fiber or carbohydrate) that you should get each day. The Percent Daily Value (% DV) is the amount of that nutrient you should get based on an assumed calorie intake. For all nutrients, if they provide 5 percent or less of the DV, the food is low in that nutrient; if they provide 20 percent or more, they are high in that nutrient.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) generally assumes an intake of 2,000 calories for an average adult. Optionally, the manufacturer can show you percentages based on an intake of 2,500 calories as well. Also voluntary, but commonly shown, are the number of calories per gram of fat, carbohydrate and protein.

The Ingredients

The Nutrition Facts box is helpful, but the information in it is still limited. Foods are also required to have a complete listing of all the ingredients that they contain. This is required for all foods that have more than one ingredient. Usually this information is listed directly below or adjacent to the Nutrition Facts box. Ingredients are listed by weight.

While fewer ingredients don’t always make a healthier food, it is not uncommon to find that foods with long, complicated ingredient lists contain more additive, more fillers and more non-nutritional ingredients.

By reading this list carefully, it can help you to compare not just the simple nutrition facts in the box, but also the quality of your food. You might be amazed when you start to compare foods like catsups, breads, soups and more just how much variation there is for individual types of foods.

Allergens

The newest label regulations require specific information for ingredients that have been identified as potentially harmful allergens. The allergens that must be declared on food labels are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
• Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soybeans

Manufacturers can declare the source of the ingredient directly in the ingredient list, or they can place this information in a separate statement following the ingredient list. (This will usually be preceded by the phrase “This product contains…”) While wheat is on this list, many medical authorities have commented that gluten is not, and perhaps should be. The FDA is currently reviewing the criteria for adding gluten to this list as well as looking to clearly define “gluten-free.”

Nutrient Content Claims and Health Claims

It is becoming increasingly common for manufacturers to market health claims about their food. Whether it is margarine that helps your heart, cereal that lowers cholesterol or simply something that is “healthy” compared to the other choices on the shelf. You might be surprised at how regulated this language is by the FDA.

A nutrient content claim is one that tells you that compared to a similar food, the food from brand X is lower in something (like fat or sugar), free of something (like sodium or cholesterol) or provides a better than average source of a nutrient (like calcium or protein). Virtually every term from “light” to “high” has a strict definition that manufacturers must meet to use the term, or they risk serious penalties and fines.

Actual health claims for foods are extremely limited. To date, there are only 12 that the FDA has allowed, though they are considering others. In addition, there are two approved claims based on authoritative statements from scientific bodies that are allowed. One is for whole grains, heart disease and cancer and states: “Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.”

This article first appeared in the OAC News Vol.2/ Issue 3 April 2007 Reproduced with permission from Obesity Action Coalition. Please visit www.oac.org

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.

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Weight Loss Surgery May Cut Risk of Cancer

Friday, January 8th, 2010

research2

Research has long linked obesity to such negative health conditions as high blood pressure, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. One commonly overlooked, yet very serious, risk of obesity is cancer. A pivotal study released in 2003 followed more than 900,000 adults for sixteen years1. When these men and women were enrolled in the study they were cancer free, but over the duration of the study, more than 50,000 cancer deaths occurred. The study concluded that those with a body mass index of 40 or more, those considered morbidly obese, had death rates from all cancers that were 52% higher for men and 62% higher for women compared to people of normal weight. Based on this data, the researchers estimated that 14 percent of all deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of those in women could be directly linked to obesity. Obesity related cancers include esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas and kidney cancers. For women, there is also an increased rate of breast, uterus and other gynecologic cancers.

Seven years have passed since the publication of that study and much headway has been made in the treatment and prevention of obesity in the United States. Although the obese population continues to climb, options such as weight loss surgery and medically supervised diets are widely available. This June, the Journal of the American College of Surgeons published a report that bariatric surgery appears to decrease the risk of cancer in obese women.

The study followed 1,482 severely obese (BMI over 30) women who had undergone bariatric surgery and compared them to a group of severely obese women who had not undergone surgery. Although the results of the study were not conclusive, the obese women who did not have surgery had a significantly higher cancer diagnosis2. These findings may be the first step toward bariatric surgery being a preventative treatment for obesity related cancers.

Certainly more research needs to be done to evaluate the numerous factors contributing to weight loss. Still, for the morbidly obese, weight loss surgery, such gastric bypass or laparoscopic gastric banding, has proven to be a more effective means of weight loss than diet and exercise alone.

1. EE Callee, C Rodriguez, K Walker-Thurmond, M Thun Overweight, Obesity and Mortality from Canter in a Prospectively Studied Cohort of U.S. Adults, NEJM 348: 1625-1638, April 24, 2003, No. 17
2. Cancer in Obese Women: Potential Protective Impact of Bariatric Surgery, 17 April 2009

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.

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Body Image vs. Health Risk: What’s Your Motivation for Weight-Loss Surgery?

Friday, December 18th, 2009

By David Engstrom, PhD, ABPP, FAClinP

Self-EsteemBody image is loosely defined as a person’s perception of their own physical appearance, or the internal sense of how one’s body appears to others. Although it is a complex subject, research suggests:

1. Body image dissatisfaction is greater in women than in men.
2. A person’s body image is often dramatically different from the way their body actually appears to others.

There is no doubt that there is still a great deal of stigmatization and moralizing about obesity and excess weight in this society. Many scientific studies demonstrate this point. They show that people with excess weight, in comparison with their normal-weight counterparts, are often perceived as being:

  • “Less intelligent”
  • “Lonelier”
  • “Having less self-control”
  • “More lazy”

While these perceptions are often not true, they still persist and can have a marked effect. We have all heard remarks like, “she ought to just push herself away from the table,” or “he should get to the gym.”

To the outside world, the reasons people with morbid obesity seek bariatric surgery may be a mystery. The obvious reason might be to “look better” or to “feel better about their bodies.” The bottom line is that society still too often views this procedure as the “easy way out,” or a “quick fix” for lifelong problems.

Perceptions and Social Stigma

Although body image seems to develop naturally as we mature, there is probably a large part of our body image that is socially derived, from these real or imagined perceptions, judgments and comments of other people. When you add this social stigma to a person’s previous failure at dieting, already low self-esteem and poor body image, it is not difficult to imagine that the idea of significant weight loss through surgery is appealing for a number of reasons.

Despite the fact that a primary goal of bariatric surgery is to prevent, improve or cure medical health problems or co-morbidities, the psychosocial effects of the surgery are just as powerful and important. Several recent studies have reported dramatic positive changes in the body image of patients following weight loss surgery. So what really motivates people to seek this surgery in the first place?

Weight Loss Surgery Motivation

First, a few facts about motivation itself. There are four types, or sources, of motivation.

  • External motivation is often initiated by outside sources, like friends, family or doctors. “They made me do it.”
  • Guilt-driven motivation is, as one might expect, a result of trying to escape from negative feelings. “I would feel badly if I didn’t do it.”
  • Identified motivation is a result of wanting to be like, or identifying with, someone else who is doing the behavior in question.
  • Internal motivation is when the desire to change arises within the person. “I like doing it…it’s fun.” Studies that examined motivation to exercise or to lose weight have shown that the most enduring source of behavior change is internal motivation. That is, the more a person’s motivation comes from within, as opposed to some outside agent (e.g., doctor, spouse), the more likely it is that behavior change will continue.

It is clear that there are many sources for motivation, and they should be examined carefully, especially when the subject is weight-loss surgery. At our practice, we have examined the motivating factors for a group of 65 of patients who were seeking bariatric surgery. They were each asked about their primary motivating factors, including:

  • Health concerns, including medical co-morbidities
  • Improvements in self-esteem, including feelings of self-worth and enhanced body image
  • Increasing physical functioning, including better mobility and ability to accomplish physical tasks
  • Business or job advancement
  • Increased social attractiveness

They were asked to rank-order their reasons for seeking surgery, from 1 (most important) through 5 (least important). The results of this assessment are shown below.

What is your most important reason for seeking bariatric surgery?

Health Concerns                               62%
Increase Physical Functioning            11%
Improve Self-Esteem                         19%
Business or Job Advancement             5%
Social Attractiveness                          3%

One clear finding here is that health concerns far outweigh all other categories of motivation for bariatric surgery. These may represent either current or future concerns about physical health and well-being. When motivation to improve physical functioning is added to health concerns, the total for both represents nearly three quarters of all primary reasons.

Body Image and Self-Esteem

Although “body image” was not a separate category, it is assumed that this issue is incorporated into the categories of “improve self-esteem” and “social attractiveness.” Together, these two areas were primarily endorsed by 22 percent of the respondents.

People obviously choose to have bariatric surgery for many reasons, and these cannot easily be broken down into distinct categories. While our data suggests that health concerns are well in front of other reasons, there were secondary reasons, including body image, which play a part in their decision-making as well. Of equal importance is the person’s source of motivation. Be sure to examine yours, and make certain the decision is an internal one!

This article first appeared in the OAC News Vol.3/ Issue 4 July 2008.  Reproduced with permission from Obesity Action Coalition. Please visit www.oac.org

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Doctors Say New Incisionless Weight Loss Procedure Is Painless

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Beginning Jan 1, 2010, a new weight loss procedure will be available to people who have 50 to 100 pounds to lose. Among the first in the world to try this new procedure were patients on the Northshore who participated in the trial.

Cindy Babylon of Carriere, Mississippi, could not lose weight on her own and got very close to 200 pounds. “I’d go on pills, lose a little weight, do the shots, everything – but it still wouldn’t stay off,” said Babylon, 5 feet 1 inches tall.

Another patient, Clyde Harper of Loranger, Louisiana, became a diabetic at 256 pounds on his almost 6 foot tall frame. “That’s my pride and joy, my family. I wanted to make a change. My kids are always out there doing something and I really hadn’t, I’d go out there but I’m not out there as long as I need to be or should be,” said Harper.

Babylon, 54, and Harper, 32, became two of the first 27 people in the world who qualified for a new weight loss procedure, which is unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s called POSE, short for “Primary Obesity Surgery, Endoscopic.” It is bariatric surgery, but unlike gastric bypass or the gastric sleeve surgery, the stomach isn’t cut down to a smaller size. And unlike the LAP-BAND®, no ring is implanted around your stomach.

“You can now do an incisionless weight loss procedure that is painless, with essentially no complications, and you go back to work in a day and a half and you get the same results,” said Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Michael Thomas of the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, who is the site investigator for the POSE surgery.

A new, special long, thin tube is used during the POSE procedure, which eliminates the cutting. While the patient is under anesthesia, doctors insert it into the mouth and down the esophagus into the stomach. Through the four openings at the end, a camera and series of special tools are threaded down the big tube. The tools grab and fold stomach tissue, and about a dozen places in the stomach are pinched together with mesh plugs, just like folds in the fabric. As in all restrictive bariatric procedures like the LAP-BAND®, the result is a smaller stomach that holds less food.

This procedure also seems to have a different mechanism at work. The part of the stomach that gets altered is very spongy and stretches easily, which seems to interrupt very powerful hormones that send hunger signals to the brain.

“The reason diets fail long term is hunger is a very strong force. These hunger hormones really affect you, nothing emotional about it, pure hormones,” said Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Tom Lavin of the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana.

Surgical Specialists of Louisiana in Covington was one of only a few sites in the country to test the POSE procedure. Of the first 27 patients in the world, doctors Thomas and Lavin performed 9 POSE procedures, more than any other site. And while there are no long-term studies or results, so far they find it very safe and effective. “We are hoping that we will find that the perioperative complications or whatever aspect, either short-term or-long term, are as safe as diet and exercise, maybe even safer,” Thomas said.

“Our patients had dramatically decreased hunger and capacity immediately after surgery and it is sustained at 9 months,” Lavin added. “So for us, that was what we wanted to hear.”

The results speak for themselves. In eight months, Cindy Babylon is down 36 pounds. In seven months, Clyde Harper is down 60 pounds and his diabetes is gone.

“I lost 15 pounds right away, and that was pretty normal. Then it just kept coming off because your stomach is smaller. You’re eating a third of what you are normally eating. You get full quicker. You eat less and you have that fullness and you really don’t have to eat as much as I used to eat like a pig,” Babylon said with a laugh. “It’s easier just to get up, go around motivated, easier to get motivated just to do anything,” said Harper.

During the trial, patients see a nutritionist for food counseling and know they must exercise. Babylon said her weight loss will lower the risk of her breast cancer returning and getting heart disease, which runs in her family. Harper never wants to be on diabetes medication again.

It has not been determined how much the POSE procedure will cost, but other bariatric surgeries run between $14,000 and $19,000. Patients need to be on vitamin supplements to make sure all the nutrients are absorbed into the system.

Source: WWL-TV.com. Doctors say weight loss procedure is painless, doesn’t leave marks. Available at: http://www.wwltv.com/home/Doctors-say-weight-loss-procedure-is-painless-doesnt-leave-marks-74118187.html. Accessed Dec 2, 2009

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Bariatric Patient Spotlight–Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes: Steven Head

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

As a young adult, Steven Head of Lecompte, Louisiana, injured himself falling out of a tree and slowly began to gain weight. Although he often made solid efforts at weight loss, once losing over 80 lbs, the weight came back as soon as he stopped dieting. As his weight crept up, so did associated health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. By age 50, Steven was injecting 200 units of insulin each day when he found a wound on the bottom of his foot that would not heal. When the doctors started mentioning amputation, Steven knew he had to do something.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone necessary to convert sugar and starches into energy. Its exact cause is unknown, but genetics, obesity, and lack of exercise are all contributing factors.

Glucose intolerance should not be taken lightly. But, unfortunately, it is not the only concern. Nearly 60-70% of people with diabetes develop some form of nervous system damage including the loss of ability to feel pain. Nearly 30% of adults ages 40 and over with diabetes suffer from neuropathy, impaired sensation of the feet. This means that those with neuropathy can develop blisters or sores on their feet that they may not be aware of.

Despite several visits to specialists across the state and multiple treatments, Steven’s wound on his foot did not get better. Finally, the doctors suggested amputation, and Steven realized that he had to get rid of the diabetes in order to save his leg.

In December of 2006, Steven had laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery performed by Dr. Tom Lavin of the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. This minimally invasive, one-hour procedure creates a smaller stomach pouch that allows food to bypass a large portion of the small intestine so the patient absorbs fewer calories. Interestingly, gastric bypass, also called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, also affects the hormones that may be behind diabetes. Studies show that 83.8% of patients often resolve their diabetes within days of bariatric surgery.

Since his surgery, Steven has lost 185 pounds and is no longer diabetic. Best of all, his wound was healed and he was able to keep full use of his foot and leg.

Dr. Lavin believes that, by treating the core problem, many obese individuals can solve most of their related health problems. Steven is excited about his weight loss success, but beyond the numbers on the scale he is thrilled to have regained his health.

1. American Diabetes Association. All about diabetes. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/ about-diabetes.jsp. Accessed Nov 15, 2009

2. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC). A service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH. National Diabetes Statistics, 2007. Available at : http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/. Accessed Nov 15, 2009.

3. Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA 2004;292(14):1724-37.

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Walk From Obesity

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Walk from ObesityThe 4th Annual Walk From Obesity, sponsored by Southern Surgical Hospital, in conjunction with The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, took place Saturday, November 14th in Slidell’s Olde Towne Historic District. The Walk From Obesity is the only annual nation-wide event to increase the awareness of the life threatening disease of obesity.

Walkers participated in raising money to help fight the obesity epidemic. An estimated 90 million people in the US are obese and 15 million are morbidly obese, putting them at an increased risk for other life threatening diseases including type II diabetes and heart disease.

With the help of business sponsorships, such as the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana who were “Benefactor Level” sponsors, the Slidell area walk raised $16,500, making it one of the Top National Fundraising Sites in the Country. Thanks to these fundraising efforts, the ASMBS (American Society For Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Slidell Memorial Hospital’s “Fit as a Firefighter” Camp. This is the second year in a row the award has been given to SMH which has brought the money raised back into our local community.

About The Surgical Specialists of LA
The Surgical Specialists of LA is a group of nine board certified laparoscopic bariatric surgeons who have performed over 4,000 minimally invasive weight loss surgeries. With locations in New Orleans, Covington, Lafayette and Slidell, they are able to offer the Gulf South Region the most comprehensive weight loss program in the area. Whether you need to lose 15, 50 or 150 pounds, SSL has a program to meet your needs. MyWeightTM is the most recent addition to SSl’s offerings. MyWeightTM is a medically supervised, individualized, multi-level weight loss program that offers a variety of options focusing on the Medical, Nutritional, and Physical components for a healthy lifestyle.

About Southern Surgical Hospital
Southern Surgical Hospital (SSH) is a multi-specialty, 63,538 square-foot short-stay hospital located in Slidell, Louisiana. The hospital houses six operating suites, one pain treatment room, a procedure room; two sleep lab beds, 32 inpatient beds, and five ICU beds. SSH is owned and operated by physicians in partnership with Cirrus Health.

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Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

venus2

Many patients undergoing bariatric surgery often wonder if they will need plastic surgery to remove excess skin after they’ve lost weight. This is not always the case. Depending on your age and the elasticity of your skin you may see your body return to a somewhat normal state. Others, however, will see an excess of saggy skin around their midsection, thighs, arms or breasts. This can present both physical and emotional concerns. Hanging skin can be uncomfortable and can cause hygiene problems. And patients who worked hard to reach their weight loss goals may find themselves, once again, embarrassed by their physical appearance. Plastic surgery could be the solution.

Body contouring after massive weight loss is on the rise. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) nearly 67,000 body contouring procedures after massive weight loss were performed in 2007. This accounts for roughly one-fourth of all bariatric surgery patients.

The most commonly performed procedures for bariatric surgery patients are panniculectomy, abdominoplasty, breast lift, brachioplasty, and vertical thigh lift.

• Panniculectomy: a procedure that reduces the size of the pannus, or the excess skin that hangs in the abdominal region. This procedure is often covered by insurance companies to improve physical function.

• Abdominoplasty: this procedure, like the panniculectomy, also removes excess abdominal skin but also tightens the muscle.

• Breast lift: also known as a mastopexy, this is the most common plastic surgery procedure for weight loss surgery patients. Because the breast volume may have decreased with weight loss, implants are often used to lift and shape the breast.

• Brachioplasty: this technique, to remove excess hanging skin from the arm, cannot be performed without creating a large scar. Many patients however, find this trade off well worth it.

• Vertical thigh lift: a procedure that removes the excess tissue extending from the groin to the knee. Like the arm lift, it generally leaves a large scar.

If you are considering body contouring after your weight loss procedure, it is best to wait at least one full year after your bariatric surgery or until you have reached a stable weight. Having plastic surgery prematurely may not give you the results you are looking for and may mean revisional surgery later on. It is also advisable to reach a healthy weight. Surgery, cosmetic or otherwise, carries risks. These risks can be minimized as your Body Mass Index (BMI) decreases and any weight-related health conditions begin to resolve themselves.

Many plastic surgeons are now specializing in procedures for weight loss surgery patents. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana can provide you with a list of recommended plastic surgeons and connect you with patients who have undergone body contouring. Additionally, the ASPS is a great resource for detailed information about these and other procedures. You can reach their site at www.plasticsurgery.org.

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Bariatric Patient Spotlight: Teen Obesity – Jeremy Poulton

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Jeremy BeforeAdolescent obesity is getting a lot of attention these days. And rightly so! The NHANES surveys show that the prevalence of obesity for those aged 12 to 19 has increased from 5% to 17.6% over the past three years1.

Jeremy Poulton was one of the 17.6 percent. His weight problems started back when he was only 12 years old. He would frequently fall asleep in his fourth grade class causing his teachers and family much concern. And things only worsened each year. By age 19 he weighed 373 lbs and had several weight-related medical conditions: high cholesterol, sleep apnea and Type-2 diabetes. Jeremy knew he needed to take action.

When he learned about the effectiveness of laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, sometimes called Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery, he realized there was hope. Jeremy pushed his mother to call for more information, researched his options and, with the help of The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, even fought his bariatric insurance denial.

Jeremy AfterSince the surgery, Poulton has lost over 105 pounds. But his weight isn’t the only thing that’s changed. His confidence has skyrocketed. He’s more outgoing; more willing to talk and socialize. He’s going to the prom. He’s flying comfortably in airplanes. He even made the tennis team only two weeks after weight loss surgery!

But perhaps the biggest change is the positive impact Jeremy’s surgery has had on his family. His mother, who suffered along with him while he struggled with childhood obesity, is thrilled to see her son in a healthier state. And Jeremy is happy his family won’t be worrying about him anymore.

Research shows that obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese adults. One study found that nearly 80% of children who were overweight at 10 to 15 years of age were obese at 25. Another study showed that obesity is more severe if one becomes obese before the age 81.

Not all adolescents will qualify for surgical weight loss. But if you or your child believe there is a medical necessity please visit WhyWeight.com to learn about weight loss options, read more weight loss success stories and sign up for a free seminar.

1. Source: CDC: “Childhood Overweight and Obesity.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood. Accessed Oct 16, 2009.

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Help Fight Obesity in Louisiana

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Louisiana – The Least Healthy State in the Nation

weightScaleCould where you live actually determine how long you live? According to the United Health Foundation, it can! In their annual report, “America’s Health Rankings,” the UHF provides an analysis of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis1.

In the 2008 report, Louisiana moved to the bottom position making it the least healthy state in the nation. Joining Louisiana at the bottom were Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Mississippi. Some of the top-ranked states were Vermont, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah. Researchers based their findings on several factors, including the personal behaviors of those living in the state, such as smoking, and factors like the rate of uninsured residents, the percentage of children in poverty, or the rate of preventable hospitalizations and cancer deaths.

But another important indicator is the obesity rate, because obesity, can often lead to other serious health conditions such as type II diabetes and heart disease. Since 1990, the prevalence of obesity in Louisiana has increased by 150% percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 28.1% of the Louisiana population is now classified as obese2.

Regardless of rank, each state has the opportunity to improve the health of its residents. Fighting the obesity epidemic is an excellent way to start – even modest weight loss can significantly improve one’s health. Medically supervised weight loss programs have been proven successful and, for the morbidly obese, bariatric surgery is known to be the most effective and long-lasting treatment. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana offers all minimally invasive options, as well as the revolutionary incisionless weight loss surgery options and personalized non-surgical weight loss plans.

Join the 2009 Walk From Obesity

In the end, the health of our State depends on the actions of the individuals who reside here. As weight loss specialists and Louisiana citizens, the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana joins the fight every year by sponsoring the annual American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s Walk From Obesity. This year, the SSL- and Southern Surgical Hospital-sponsored Walk will be held on November 14 in conjunction with Camellia City Market and Olde Towne Merchants in Slidell’s Historic Olde Towne District:

Walk from Obesity

2009 Walk From Obesity
Saturday November 14, 2009
8:30am in Slidell, LA

Interested in joining the annual Walk from Obesity to help raise funds for the research, prevention and advanced treatments and make Louisiana a healthier place to live? Visit WhyWeight.com to register online or call Kim Mulkey at (985) 661-2172.

1. United Health Foundations: “America’s Health Rankings.”
Available at http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2008/index.html
2. CDC: “U.S. Obesity Trends 1985 – 2008.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

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Posted in Gastric Bypass, Incisionless Bariatric Surgery, Lap Band, Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program, Obesity Today, Weight Loss News | Comments Off

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