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Many people struggling with morbid obesity cannot achieve
significant weight loss through diet and exercise alone. Living with
morbid obesity is not an option as it can lead to other problems
including diabetes, high blood pressure, premature joint stress,
sleep problems and other issues. Through weight loss surgery
combined with a change in dietary habits, most people can achieve
the weight loss necessary to improve their lives dramatically.
St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way has been named a
Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)
in recognition of its experience and favorable outcomes in weight
loss surgery.
After having LAP-BAND
surgery at St. Francis Hospital,
Terra has left 120
pounds, high blood pressure and
high cholesterol
behind.
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Free Weight Loss Surgery
Seminars
We offer
free seminars on weight loss surgery at several Puget
Sound locations. Come and learn about the different
surgeries, pre and post surgery care, how to deal with
insurance companies and more. Hear directly from one of the
dedicated
bariatric surgeons and from
actual patients!
Find locations and dates here.
Web Seminars
View a web seminar
Make The First Step
If you are ready to make the move toward a healthier, more
energetic you, contact us for an initial consultation to see
if weight loss surgery is right for you:
St. Francis Center for Weight Management
St. Francis Hospital Medical Office Building, Suite #310,
34509 Ninth Ave. So., Federal Way, WA 98003
1-800-823-6525
nww8mgt@fhshealth.org
Types of Surgery
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
describes two basic approaches that weight loss surgery
takes to achieve change:
- Restrictive procedures that
decrease food intake.
- Malabsorptive procedures
that alter digestion, thus causing the food to be poorly
digested and incompletely absorbed so that it is eliminated
in the stool.
Laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery
For the last decade, laparoscopic procedures have been used
in a variety of general surgeries. Many people mistakenly
believe that these techniques are still "experimental." In
fact, laparoscopy has become the predominant technique in
some areas of surgery and has been used for weight loss
surgery for several years. Although few bariatric surgeons
perform laparoscopic weight loss surgeries, more are
offering patients this less invasive surgical option
whenever possible.
When a laparoscopic operation
is performed, a small video camera is inserted into the
abdomen. The surgeon views the procedure on a separate video
monitor. Most laparoscopic surgeons believe this gives them
better visualization and access to key anatomical
structures.
The camera and surgical instruments are inserted through
small incisions made in the abdominal wall. This approach is
considered less invasive because it replaces the need for
one long incision to open the abdomen.
A recent study shows that patients having had laparoscopic
weight loss surgery experience less pain after surgery
resulting in easier breathing and lung function and higher
overall oxygen levels. Other realized benefits with
laparoscopy have been fewer wound complications such as
infection or hernia, and patients returning more quickly to
pre-surgical levels of activity.
Laparoscopic procedures for weight loss surgery employ the
same principles as their "open" counterparts and produce
similar excess weight loss. Not all patients are candidates
for this approach, just as all bariatric surgeons are not
trained in the advanced techniques required to perform this
less invasive method.
The American Society for Bariatric Surgery recommends that
laparoscopic weight loss surgery should only be performed by
surgeons who are experienced in both laparoscopic and open
bariatric procedures.
BACK TO TOP
Credit: Special thanks to LAP-BAND
manufacturer InaMed, formerly BioInterics, for use of
illustrations and graphics.
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