Morbid Obesity: The Solution

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Morbid Obesity: The Problem | Morbid Obesity: The Solution |  The Operation | New U Support Group | GI Surgery Home

• No diet or drug therapy program exists today that can effectively bring about significant, sustained weight loss in morbidly obese persons.
• Obesity surgery is the only treatment that can achieve marked, lasting weight reduction in morbidly obese persons.
• Better results are obtained with obesity surgery than the medical profession achieves in nearly every other area of patient care.
• At the Fairview-University Obesity Surgery Center, 80% of our patients have excellent results, losing an average of 100 pounds, with minimal postoperative problems. Another 10% have good results, losing somewhat less or sustaining more significant postoperative problems. At some time after their initial surgery, 5% will require a second improvement operation; another 5% will, in effect, out-eat the operation.
• The average hospitalization for obesity surgery is 4 to 6 days.
• The average at-home recuperation is about 2 weeks.
• Long-term follow-up is essential and should include dietary instruction, exercise therapy, and, where feasible, patient support groups.
• No operation is without risk. At the Fairview-University Obesity Surgery Center, obesity surgery is extremely safe: operative mortality is below half of one percent and the operative morbidity of wound infection, pneumonia, etc. is under 5%. As with all major abdominal procedures, about 5% of patients return with a ventral hernia and 2% with a bowel obstruction.
• Our obesity surgery patients are, as a rule, highly satisfied with their postoperative health, appearance, exercise and work capacity, and the social acceptance that follows significant weight loss.
• Most insurance policies and health care payers cover surgery for morbid obesity