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Bariatric Surgery: When Patients Become the Center of Attention

As the demand for bariatric surgery continues to rise, programs and surgical centers continue to improve to better serve the special needs of the obese patient. 

One of the newest developments in recent years is the cropping up of medical centers that are devoted entirely to the treatment of obesity.  These centers offer some new advantages to their patients.

How the New Bariatric Centers Work

• These centers have staff and surgeons that are trained to deal with obesity and obesity related illness, they organize seminars and support groups, and they often work in conjunction with psychologists to monitor their patients' mental health. 
• These centers often take a more comprehensive approach and require more from their patients than basic surgeons that may not focus solely on baraitrics. 
• If you're a patient that benefits from additional attention and additional tools and resources, both before and after surgery, centers of this type could offer you yet another option when considering bariatric surgery.
• Like U.S. Bariatrics, which has offices throughout Florida, these centers often have non-surgical weight-loss programs that monitor a patient's progress before surgery is considered an option. 
• Centers like these also require that their patients go to at least one seminar or support group prior to surgery. 
• Dr. Michael Schuhknecht, co-founder of the Center for Obesity Related Illness (CORI) with offices in NY, IL, and MI, says that he and his fellow surgeons work closely with insurance companies and their requirements, keeping patients on weight loss programs sometimes as long as 16 months before surgery is considered. 

 There is no question that these centers require more of their patients than many surgeons, but they do so in order to ensure that they are only accepting patients who are willing to make the lifestyle change necessary to achieve success.

For the Dedicated, these Centers Can Offer Several Benefits

1. Financial Considerations

For centers that have been doing several thousand surgeries over a number of years, dealing with insurance companies and helping patients come up with the funds to help pay for their surgery is just part of the job. 

Bariatric surgery is expensive, no matter how you look at it.  Patients who view surgery as the only way of regaining their life will often try to find any insurance or financing that they can to help them reach their goal.  For many of these patients money is a very real concern. 

"Remember," says Dr. Schuhknecht "obesity affects the poor people in this country, not the affluent." 

2. Experience

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in October 2004, findings showed that death as a result of surgery was 4.5 times more likely during a surgeon's first 19 operations.  As the number of surgeries increases, the number of resultant deaths decreases. 

Practice makes closer to perfect, even in surgery.  Not only can experienced surgeons address problems that may occur during surgery, but they are also better equipped to identify possible complications during the recovery process. 

There are, of course, surgeons not associated with larger centers such as these with just as much experience and as good or even better statistical results.  Usually these surgeons devote most or all of their practice to bariatric surgery instead of performing just a few to help supplement their practice in another specialty. 

As Dr. Schuhknecht puts it, "there are too many guys that take a weekend course and call themselves bariatric surgeons."

3. Additional Features

Bariatric patients are different from any doctor's traditional one, because in this instance surgery is not a corrective measure, it is a tool to help obese people fight their disease and make a lifestyle change. 

To help patients as they are going through their change centers like CORI have follow up programs equipped with dietary guidelines and continued psychological help if necessary.  They also have ongoing seminars and support groups that many past patients attend.  For patients that desire it, they also make cosmetic surgery available to remove sagging skin after their weight loss is complete.  Again the staff works closely with your medical insurance since excess skin can cause hygiene and health risks, and its removal is oftentimes covered, at least in part, by healthcare providers. 

Centers of Excellence: Helping You Select a Center

In June 2005 the American Society of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) is expected to announce its initial list of Centers of Excellence.  The Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) will review surgeons, surgical practices, and hospitals and award the Center of Excellence decree to those that meet a set of criteria of care and safety.  This will give patients yet another way to judge the dedication and experience of their doctor: the choice is one that will remain with you. 

As Dr. Schuhknecht puts it, "once they are my patient they become a patient for life."

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