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| Category: Health:Weight Loss | |
| About the Book | |
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More
than 55 percent of people in the United States are overweight and
a growing number are clearly candidates for the physical and psychological
benefits offered by weight loss surgery, also known as "bariatric
surgery." Nevertheless, there is still great fear and misunderstanding
about this potentially life-saving procedure. The Doctor's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: How to Make the Decision That Could Save Your Life finally offers a comprehensive reference to weight loss surgery for the general public. Co-written by Louis Flancbaum, MD, Chief of the Division of Bariatric Surgery at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, and Erica Manfred, an actual weight loss surgery patient, this practical, easy-to-understand guide is aimed at helping people make an informed decision about this sometimes controversial procedure. The Doctor's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: How to Make the Decision That Could Save Your Life explains: + How the severity of obesity is graded and who is a candidate for weight loss surgery + The types of operations used for obesity and the risks and benefits of each + How it differs from liposuction and what kind of results can be expected + How to choose a surgeon and a follow-up program + Steps to improve the chances that your insurance company or third party payer will pay for the surgery + The entire process of weight loss surgery, from the pre-surgical evaluation, to what happens in the hospital, to what to watch out for in the months and years after surgery Frequently regarded as the last resort for desperately obese people with no self-control, weight loss surgery is often incorrectly thought of as dangerous or ineffective. In reality, research has proven that weight loss surgery is the single most effective treatment for individuals who have the severest form of the disease of obesity. Long term studies on patients who have undergone weight loss surgery show that the majority of patients may attain extensive weight loss. Complications of obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, arthritis, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (heartburn) improve markedly or disappear completely. Dr. Flancbaum, a nationally recognized expert in the field of bariatric surgery, has performed close to 1,000 bariatric surgical procedures in his ten years in the field, has made many national and international presentations and has published over 100 scientific journal articles and book chapters. Erica Manfred, a medical journalist, had a weight problem which was causing worsening diabetes, higher cholesterol, painful arthritis, and intolerable heartburn. After trying dozens of commercial and "fad diets," shedding hundreds of pounds, and regaining even more, she began to investigate weight loss surgery. She discovered that there was a paucity of quality information for laypeople about the surgical treatment for obesity. Nothing was available that described the different operations, their pros and cons, and long-term effects or that offered advice about selecting a competent surgeon, comprehensive program, or dealing with insurance carriers - often the major obstacles to overcome prior to weight loss surgery. Her own gastric bypass surgery in 1998 was very successful, resulting in a 75 pound weight loss and marked improvement in her chronic health problems. This comprehensive reference, which resulted from their collaboration, "is a much-needed guide to the most effective treatment for extreme obesity," says Richard Atkinson, M.D., the President of the American Obesity Association
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| About the Author | |
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