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You do not have to fight the weight-loss battle alone. The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Southampton Hospital has helped men and women to lose life-threatening extra pounds through a combination of weight loss surgery, nutrition counseling, and support. The initial treatment of obesity is diet and exercise. However, medical research shows that approximately 97% of obese individuals were unable to accomplish or maintain weight loss with the use of medications, diet, and/or other non-surgical weight control methods. Obesity is a complex problem with many aspects to it that are yet to be understood. Bariatric surgery has been proven to provide a great degree of success and is giving obese people a second chance at life. Southampton Hospital physicians and professional staff provide a full range of help, from pre-operative counseling to a support group for recovering patients visit
www.hamptonbariatric.com.
Morbid obesity is recognized as a disease and all insurance plans cover surgery for obesity. In addition, any out-of-pocket expenses paid by the patient are considered tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please check with your insurance provider for coverage details and deductible before you commit to surgery.
You may have questions about weight loss surgery and would like to know more about your surgical options to treat your obesity. Southampton Hospital staff and your surgeon will provide support prior to surgery and afterwards as you recover and start your new life. Take the first step to a healthier lifestyle by scheduling a consultation with our Board-certified surgeons.
More about our Center of Excellence
Support
Quick weight loss, as desired as it is, should not be the ultimate goal for people suffering from weight problem. The important issue should be how to loose weight in a healthy manner. However the most important question should be how to maintain the weight loss. Many studies showed that over 90% of patients who loose the weight with traditional tools such as diet and exercise regain the weight. What that tells us is that proper preparation and proper monitoring and support are the keys to long standing weight control. Please attend one of our support group to learn more about how to loose weight in a health manner and how to maintain your weight loss. You can also log into our website
www.weightlosstoday.com and connect with some of our patients who lost the weight and successfully maintained their weight loss. If you’d like to learn more from people who have already had bariatric surgery, you are welcome to attend Dr. Medhat Allam’s bariatric surgery support group meetings which are held every third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Hampton Bays Library located at 52 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays.
Am I a candidate for surgery?
BMI Calculator
You are a candidate for bariatric surgery if you meet the following criteria:
• Age between 18 and 65
• Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more
• Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or more and suffering from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease or chronic arthritis
• Not abusing alcohol or drugs
What is morbid obesity?
Severe obesity is a life-long struggle that is difficult to cure. The relationship between your body weight and height will determine whether you are considered to be lean, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. An index was created called Body Mass Index (BMI) to calculate the relationship between your weight and height.
Lean individuals have a BMI of not more than 25. If your BMI is 40 or more, you are 100 pounds above your ideal weight and considered morbidly obese. The term “morbidly” reflects the increased risk of medical complications associated with such extreme weight. To calculate your BMI, please visit
www.hamptonbariatric.com.
Common Complications of Obesity
- Diabetes – obesity is associated with markedly increased risk for diabetes which can cause problems such as stroke, heart attack, blindness and amputation.
- Hypertension – weight gain in young adult life is a major risk factor for developing hypertension in later life.
- Cardiovascular disease – for each 10% increase in body weight, there is an approximate 20% increase in the incidence of coronary artery disease and heart attacks.
- Psychological – impairment of body image is a major form of psychological disturbance and repeated failure of weight loss effort increases the feeling of despair and depression. Often, prejudice against obese people is a challenge that must be faced on a daily basis.
- Pulmonary abnormalities – pulmonary health problems range in severity from reversible conditions to reversible damage.
- Degenerative arthritis – osteoarthritis resulting from the additional stress on weight bearing joints, knees and back, causing pain and eventually the loss of mobility.
- Cancer – studies have found a significantly higher mortality rate for colorectal and prostate cancer in obese males. Menopausal women with upper body fat have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Higher rates of uterine and ovarian cancer are also found in morbidly obese women.