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1
Bill Considering Surgery
My family has a diabetic background. I have friends that have a diabetic background. I've seen people go through the progressive amputations.
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Dr. Koppman on the Canadian Study
In a study of 6,000 people, there was an 89% reduction in mortality with regards to having the surgery versus not having the surgery.
Dr. John Koppman, Bariatric Surgeon
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Disease From Obesity
Obesity is a life-long, progressive disease. We used to think that people could be healthy and overweight, but now we understand that differently.
Dr. Robert T. Marema, Medical Director, Flagler Hospital Bariatric Surgery Center
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Disease Resolution
After the surgery, we see a resolution is so many related diseases. People feel like they have been freed from what were perceived as life sentences.
Dr. Robert T. Marema, Medical Director,
Flagler Hospital Bariatric Surgery Center
5
Fear of Diabetes
What scared me so much about diabetes were the associated, peripheral damages that occurred.
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Is Surgery For Me?
Obesity defined
Obesity is generally defined as being 30 percent over your ideal body weight. The National Institutes of Health defines morbid obesity as being 100 pounds or more overweight and having a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 40.
While there are no known causes for chronic obesity, more than 300 genes have been identified with an increased risk for obesity. This genetic predisposition is evident in many extended families where siblings, parents and children all face the same dieting struggles and deadly consequences.
Several life-threatening and debilitating diseases are associated with obesity including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, respiratory complications and arthritis. The risks and severity of these conditions are even greater for those who are morbidly obese.
Is This Really For Me?
At the Flagler Hospital Bariatric Surgery Center, we focus on what you have to gain, not what you have to lose. Come to one of our free educational seminars for more information on whether or not bariatric surgery is the right decision for you.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) considers you a good candidate for surgery:
- If you have tried and failed with dieting.
- If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 40 or greater.
- If you have a BMI of 35 or greater and have serious health conditions associated with your obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, depression, heart disease, sleep apnea.
- If you are more than 100 lbs over "ideal" weight.
*Adapted from NIH Consensus Development Conference Panel. Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity. Ann Intern Med 1991; 115:956-61.