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Featured Stories: Bariatric Surgery
Big Losses, Even Bigger Gains
“We are delighting in our second childhoods,” says
Muriel Alexander about herself and her husband, Jack, since they lost
a combined 258 pounds. She wants to go skydiving, he is wearing his
Civil War reenactment uniform that hasn’t fit since 1986, and
together they renewed their wedding vows.
This new lease on life is thanks to weight-loss surgery and lots of
hard work and determination. The Alexanders agree that the road has
not been easy, but it has been worth it.
“We took this journey together and have supported one another
every step of the way,” Muriel says. Her surgery was in December
2008; Jack had his the following month.
Brian Cantor, MD, medical director, Bariatric Surgery Program, Holy
Cross Hospital, performed Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for both
Muriel and Jack.
“This surgery creates a shortcut around a portion of the small
intestine to bypass the nutrient-absorbing area,” Dr. Cantor
says. “This surgery helps in two ways. First, it restricts the
amount of food that the patient can eat. Second, it alters the patient’s
ability to digest food.”
Surgeons at Holy Cross Hospital also perform:
- laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery, which involves implanting
an adjustable gastric band that reduces stomach capacity without
stapling the stomach or changing normal digestion
- gastric sleeve laparoscopic surgery, which is the removal of a
little more than half of the stomach so that it takes the shape of
a tube or sleeve
Around-the-clock expertise
Holy Cross Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery
Program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Bariatric
Surgery Center Network as a Center of Excellence. This means the program
has met the highest standards of surgical care.
All of our laparoscopic bariatric surgeons
meet the qualifications set forth by the American Society for Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery. And the hospital has more than 20 years’ experience
helping bariatric patients with an outstanding team of cardiologists,
anesthesiologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, interventional
radiologists and nutritionists.
Physician assistants work hand-in-hand with
bariatric surgeons during and after surgery. They are available 24
hours a day in the hospital to help make each patient’s stay
as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Continuous support
Weight-loss surgery patients may lose a large amount of weight quickly
after surgery. For about half of the patients, the rapid weight loss
results in excess abdominal skin. These patients may be candidates
for body-contouring plastic surgery to remove the extra skin.
As for Jack and Muriel, they still find support from Holy Cross Hospital.
“Muriel and I still participate in Holy Cross Hospital’s
postsurgical support group,” Jack says. “The group is so
important to us, because it gives us the opportunity to share and learn.”
Two bariatric support groups meet at Holy Cross
Hospital – one
for people who are considering weight-loss surgery and one for people
who have had it.
“It’s amazing to think about all of the people whose lives
have been improved and extended because they took this journey,” Muriel
says. “Holy Cross Hospital’s program is so complete. If
you are considering weight-loss surgery, use it!”
| Learn
more about weight-loss surgery, meet our bariatric surgeons and
hear from other patients at one of our upcoming informational meetings: |
Surgical Weight
loss
Wednesdays, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, Aug. 11
6 p.m.
Adjustable gastric Band surgery
Mondays, May 3, June 7, July
5, Aug. 2
6:30 p.m. |
 |
To
register, call 301-754-8800. |
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