Weighing Your Options for Weight Loss

More than 11 million Americans suffer from severe obesity, which is commonly associated with Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other co-morbidities. Morbid obesity is generally defined as excess body weight of 100 pounds or more or a body mass index of at least 40 kg/meters2. Currently, weight-loss surgery provides the only effective, lasting relief for those who are morbidly obese and have been unsuccessful losing weight through diet, exercise or medication.

Most CHS hospitals offer expert bariatric surgical services, along with free seminars and support groups related to this life-changing treatment. Good Samaritan, Mercy and St. Charles Hospital are all accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). St. Charles is accredited as a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent Qualifications.

“We specialize in a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss through both surgical and non-surgical methods,” commented St. Charles bariatric surgeon John Angstadt, MD. “We have designed a special comprehensive program for our adolescents to provide the extra support they need for success.”

For bariatric surgery candidates, potential procedures include sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, depending on the patient’s needs. Single-incision or laparoscopic techniques are available for select patients.

For more information about bariatric services available at CHS hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk, please call 1-855-CHS-4500 or visit chsli.org.