F
Dr. Saurabh says the
surgery helps patients
not only lose weight but
sustain the weight loss.
What’s more, in most
cases, health conditions
such as diabetes, high
blood pressure and sleep
apnea are resolved. e
procedure is safe, he adds, with a lower risk
of complications than gallbladder surgery
or hip replacement.
Patients lose an average of
to
percent of excess body weight, and
some patients lose all the excess weight.
But Dr. Saurabh notes that the process is
not easy.
COMMITMENT IS KEY
“Bariatric surgery
is just a tool to help you lose weight; it’s
not a magic pill,” he says. “It’s a lot of hard
work. at’s why compliance is very im-
portant. It’s a lifelong commitment.”
Follow-up visits, checks of vitamin
levels and exercise are all key.
Early in the process, Dr. Saurabh meets
with patients to discuss the risks and
bene ts of each type of surgery and his
Bariatric
surgery:
Highly effective
According to a National Institutes
of Health Consensus Conference
Statement issued in 1991, “Only
surgery has proven effective over
the long-term for most patients
with clinically severe obesity.”
Across the country the success of
bariatric surgery is measured at
80 to 90 percent. That is, 80 to
90 percent of individuals who un-
dergo surgery keep off at least
60 percent of the weight they lost.
Bariatric
surgery
of Iowans are considered
obese (with a body mass
index of or more) and
another third overweight
(a BMI between and
. ).
WHO IS A CANDIDATE?
To qualify for bariatric
surgery, patients must
have a body mass index of or greater
or a BMI of or more, along with a medi-
cal condition, such as diabetes, hyperten-
sion, high cholesterol or sleep apnea. Dr.
Saurabh does not perform the surgery on
individuals who smoke, due to problems
that smoking can cause during recovery.
Patients not only see Dr. Saurabh for
three to six months preparing for bariatric
surgery, but they meet with the program’s
registered dietitian, Jenny Finch, and
undergo an exercise and diet regimen.
ey have a psychological evaluation to
determine whether the patient is mentally
prepared for the coming life change, and
a physical therapist is available as well.
“It’s a complete team e ort,” Dr. Sau-
rabh says.
recommendation. Surgical options are:
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which in-
volves closing o a large portion of the
stomach and rerouting the small intestine.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, a newer
option in which the surgeon removes a
large part of the stomach, leaving only a
small pouch, which restricts the amount
of food the patient can comfortably eat.
Adjustable gastric banding (lap-band)
in which the surgeon places a band
around the top of the stomach, restricting
the amount of food the patient can eat.
e name of Mercy’s program re ects
the bene ts patients see, not only in their
weight loss but in their metabolism.
Maduka explains that when people with
weight issues try to cut calories, the body
reacts by craving more and their metabo-
lism “bottoms out.”
“It’s exhausting,” she says. “Not only are
they hungry, but it can become more dif-
cult to lose weight.” Weight-loss surgery,
on the other hand, changes the chemical
makeup of the body, reducing the hor-
mone that triggers hunger and increasing
metabolism, she says.
Maduka advocates for patients through
the medical insurance process. Most insur-
ance covers the procedure, she says,
because the surgery tends to resolve medi-
cal conditions and prevent new health
issues.
NEW DIRECTIONS, ENJOYMENT IN LIFE
In fact, patients enrolled in the program
are not in it for cosmetic reasons, but for
their desire to lead a healthy life, both
Maduka and Dr. Saurabh say.
“ e main aim is to be healthier and
enjoy life and be there for their children
and grandchildren,” Dr. Saurabh says.
He adds that his patients’ renewed con-
dence is rewarding.
“It’s a great feeling to see these patients
six months to a year a er surgery,” he says.
“We are really making a di erence in these
patients’ lives.”
NOT A MAGIC
PILL BUT A
TOOL—AND AN
EFFECTIVE ONE
new Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Program.
“People interested in this type of
surgery have typically tried a lot of diet
plans, and those things have not worked
for them,” says Program Director Sara
Maduka. “ ose plans are expensive and
ght the body when you’re trying to lose
weight. Surgery works with the body.”
e new program launched in July
. e patients enrolled in the early
months of the program shared at least one
common experience. Whatever weight-loss
methods they had attempted in the past
had been unsuccessful.
Shireesh Saurabh, MD, is the medical
director for the new program. Board-
certi ed by the American Board of Sur-
gery, Dr. Saurabh completed a fellowship
in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery
at the University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinics, and he performed hundreds of the
surgeries while completing his residency
at Drexel University College of Medicine
in Philadelphia.
Dr. Saurabh says demand for the pro-
cedure led Mercy to form the multidis-
ciplinary program. More than one-third
Free information seminars
are a great way to learn more about Mercy’s Meta-
bolic and Bariatric Surgery Program. Upcoming dates are:
Saturday, Feb. 28, 9 a.m.
Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m.
Monday, March 16, 6 p.m.
To sign up for a seminar or receive more information about Mercy’s Meta-
bolic and Bariatric Surgery Program, contact Sara Maduka, Program Director,
at
or
319-325-8739
.
Sara Maduka,
Program
Director
Shireesh
Saurabh, MD
A
grandfather who wants to take walks with
his grandchildren, amother for whomweight
became a challenge a er having children,
and another woman with joint problems:
ese are examples of patients in Mercy’s
What is BMI?
Body mass index (BMI) is a ratio
calculated from a person’s weight and
height. It is an inexpensive and easy-to-
perform screening tool that can indicate
whether an individual is overweight or
underweight, and it is considered fairly
reliable. The normal range for a BMI is
18.5 to 24.9.
6
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