ST. LOUIS – Maintaining a healthy weight is important to your health. But figuring out the right way to lose weight can be frustrating when results are not immediately seen. For those who are considering surgical weight loss options, there are several options.
The team at SSM Health Weight Management outlines the options for both surgical and non-surgical treatments.
Dr. Aaron Bornstein, a bariatric surgeon with SSM Health Weight Management, says the team offers a range of procedures, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding.
“How we come to that conclusion about which operation is best is usually based on the patient’s medical problems and their overall comfort level with the different operations,” he said.
Patients who qualify for weight loss surgery typically have a body mass index (BMI) over 30. He says safety is a top priority when considering surgical options, and they use the latest minimally invasive techniques, which often result in faster recovery and fewer complications.
“The risks are pretty minimal, but they’re not zero. The risks are very similar to most other operations. You can get infections at the incision sites, postoperative bleeding,” Bornstein said.
Non-Surgical Options
• Nutrition and wellness programs
Physicians and nutritionists work with you directly to develop an individualized food and physical activity plan to build into your current routine
• Support groups
Meet other people in your area at various stages of their weight-loss journey. We provide an open environment that encourages people to support and learn from each other
Surgical Options
• Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
A procedure where a small pouch is created from the stomach, which is attached directly to the small intestine, allowing food to bypass most of the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine.
• Sleeve Gastrectomy
A laparoscopic procedure by which the left side of the stomach is removed leaving only a narrow tube, or sleeve, for food to pass into the intestine
• Gastric Banding
A type of minimally invasive surgery where an adjustable silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to constrict its size and reduce food intake
• Intragastric Balloon
A non-invasive endoscopic procedure where a silicone balloon is placed in the stomach and filled with saline to restrict its capacity for a limited time
You can register for a weight management seminar to see if any of these options are right for you. The sessions are for anyone who is considering bariatric surgery.
Dr. Bornstein says weight loss has many quality-of-life victories.
“There’s a lot of non-scale victories that people have, whether it’s being able to ride a rollercoaster, get on an airplane without having to have a seatbelt extender or feel like they have to purchase the seat next to them because they’re overcrowding,” he said.
To learn more about Weight Management with SSM Health, click here.
The SSM Health Medical Minute airs Wednesdays on News 11 at 7 p.m. and FOX 2 News at 9 p.m.
