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New Bariatric Surgery Option to Weigh
Surgeons from the Bariatric Surgery Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin are now offering obese patients a new choice: laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Performed through small incisions, it involves removing about 85 percent of the stomach.
Unlike gastric bypass surgery, the sleeve procedure does not sew the stomach and small intestine together. In contrast to lap band surgery, sleeve gastrectomy does not require periodic adjustments. “With the sleeve, you get the surgery, you’re done with it and you lose weight,” said Matthew Goldblatt, MD, FACS, a Medical College of Wisconsin bariatric surgeon. He estimates weight loss to be 60-75 percent of excess body weight. (Individual results may vary.) Risks are the customary ones associated with any surgery.
Bariatric surgery is appropriate for patients 100 pounds or more overweight. Which procedure is most appropriate is an individual matter. “We discuss it with the patient in a one-on-one meeting so that we can tailor the therapy to their medical and surgical needs,” Dr. Goldblatt said. “Now this gives everyone another option.”
For more information about both medical and surgical treatments for obesity, contact the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Weight Loss Center, 877-770-LOSE.
Source: Froedtert Today Date: January 2011 |