Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/71333
SPECIAL FEATURE WinningB the War OF Weight Loss ARIATRIC SURGERY IS gaining popularity as America's obesity epidemic shows no signs of subsiding. National Institutes of Health (NIH) statistics indicate that 68 percent of adults in the United States are overweight by definition with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25; 33.8 percent are obese (BMI > 30) and 5.7 percent are extremely obese (BMI > 40). The consequences? An increased risk of nearly every chronic disease, including the biggest killers – cancer, heart disease and diabetes. "Losing weight is not easy," says Leena Khaitan, MD, MPH, FACS. "For most people, it's a lifelong battle that began in childhood. It's challenging – and not just for the people who are obese, but for their physicians, too, because obesity is multi-factorial. It's not just about eating less and exercising more. There are many other issues, including psycho social issues, as well." Dr. Khaitan along with her colleague Alan Saber, MD, MS, FACS, FSMBS, lead University Hospitals (UH) Digestive Health Institute's Bariatric Surgery, Metabolic & Nutrition Center. Nationally accredited by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, the UH Center is a leader in minimally invasive weight loss surgery including laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic gastric banding, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for weight loss, and robotic-assisted bariatric surgery. In addition, the UH Center offers the highest level of ongoing individualized support — not only before, but also after surgery and for at least five years after that — to help patients achieve long-lasting weight loss results. "Working closely with many other disciplines, we prepare patients thor- oughly for the lifestyle changes they are going to need to make to lose weight and keep it off," says Dr. Saber. "We do JULY-AUGUST 2012 ■ MDNEWS.COM ■ MD NEWS Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 23