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Business News
Blue Springs, MO —
According to the surgeon general, three of every five Americans are overweight or obese. These statistics increase every year. With the increase in weight, health problems develop and the quality of life decreases. The latest statistics on obesity in America are bad and getting worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control among Americans age 20 and older, 149.3 million are overweight or obese.
Recognizing the severity of the problem, many insurance companies now cover bariatric surgery for weight loss. Depending on your situation, it may be time to consider whether it’s right for you.
Until recently, if you lived in Eastern Jackson County and were considering a bariatric procedure for weight loss, you were looking at some significant travel time. But St. Mary’s Medical Center now provides bariatric services, making it more convenient for residents of our community. Bariatric surgery requires a good deal of pre-operative work-up and post-operative follow-up. The team at the St. Mary’s Bariatric Center will coordinate this and make the process of pursing a healthier lifestyle easy for patients.
If you’ve had little or no success with traditional methods of losing weight and you meet criteria for obesity or weight-causing conditions connected with obesity, it is the time to contact your doctor and the Bariatric Center at St. Mary’s.
One of the most important measures of eligibility is your body mass index, which is a calculation based on your height and weight. Your BMI classifies you as overweight, obese, severely obese or morbidly obese.
The BMI measurement categorizes weight as:
- Healthy: BMI between 19 and 24
- Overweight: BMI between 25 and 29
- Obese: BMI between 30 and 34.9
- Severely Obese: BMI 35-39.9
- Morbidly Obese: BMI of 40 or more.
Patients with a BMI of 40 or more, or BMI over 35 and obesity-related health conditions typically qualify for lap-band surgery. (You can visit bariatrickc.com to calculate your BMI.)
Of all surgical weight loss options available today, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (lap-band) is the least invasive. It does not require rerouting the intestinal tract (as with gastric bypass) or stapling. The lap-band procedure has a very low rate of complications compared with gastric bypass, with similar weight loss results. Among the biggest advantages is, as its name implies, adjustable. Adjustments may be needed frequently, which can be challenging for some patients. Regular follow-up visits are necessary for your safety and success. This is part of the life-long commitment mentioned earlier.
According to the surgeon general, three of every five Americans are overweight or obese. These statistics increase every year. With the increase in weight, health problems develop and the quality of life decreases. The latest statistics on obesity in America are bad and getting worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control among Americans age 20 and older, 149.3 million are overweight or obese.
Recognizing the severity of the problem, many insurance companies now cover bariatric surgery for weight loss. Depending on your situation, it may be time to consider whether it’s right for you.
Until recently, if you lived in Eastern Jackson County and were considering a bariatric procedure for weight loss, you were looking at some significant travel time. But St. Mary’s Medical Center now provides bariatric services, making it more convenient for residents of our community. Bariatric surgery requires a good deal of pre-operative work-up and post-operative follow-up. The team at the St. Mary’s Bariatric Center will coordinate this and make the process of pursing a healthier lifestyle easy for patients.
If you’ve had little or no success with traditional methods of losing weight and you meet criteria for obesity or weight-causing conditions connected with obesity, it is the time to contact your doctor and the Bariatric Center at St. Mary’s.
One of the most important measures of eligibility is your body mass index, which is a calculation based on your height and weight. Your BMI classifies you as overweight, obese, severely obese or morbidly obese.
The BMI measurement categorizes weight as:
- Healthy: BMI between 19 and 24
- Overweight: BMI between 25 and 29
- Obese: BMI between 30 and 34.9
- Severely Obese: BMI 35-39.9
- Morbidly Obese: BMI of 40 or more.
Patients with a BMI of 40 or more, or BMI over 35 and obesity-related health conditions typically qualify for lap-band surgery. (You can visit bariatrickc.com to calculate your BMI.)
Of all surgical weight loss options available today, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (lap-band) is the least invasive. It does not require rerouting the intestinal tract (as with gastric bypass) or stapling. The lap-band procedure has a very low rate of complications compared with gastric bypass, with similar weight loss results. Among the biggest advantages is, as its name implies, adjustable. Adjustments may be needed frequently, which can be challenging for some patients. Regular follow-up visits are necessary for your safety and success. This is part of the life-long commitment mentioned earlier.
Other requirements set forth by the Food and Drug Administration include:
- You are between the ages of 18 and 60.
- You have been overweight for five years or more.
- You have been unable to lose weight through diet and exercise.
- You do not have an illness that has caused you to be overweight.
- You do not drink too much alcohol.
- You are committed to making changes in your diet and lifestyle.
- You are willing to continue working with and be monitored by your doctor.
Most insurance companies require patients have a psychological evaluation prior to having bariatric surgery.
The procedure takes less than an hour and though considered outpatient, it usually requires an overnight stay. Patients are typically back to normal activities within two weeks. Our surgeons handle both pre-operative and post-operative visits with patients to ensure the procedure is as safe and successful as possible. Weight loss is variable among patients, but losing up to 35-50 percent of excess body weight is quite common.
The goal of lap-band surgery is to help severely overweight people achieve long-term weight loss and increase health for a better quality of life. More than a half-million patients have undergone the procedure, but its success also depends on the commitment of the patient.
A free educational seminar about bariatric surgery is scheduled for Thursday, July 26, 6-8 p.m. in the Education Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
To make a reservation for this free event, call the 816-655-5560.
