How Obesity Surgery Is Saving Lives
Nov. 28 - Stomach reduction surgery has revolutionized the treatment of obesity. Surgery rates have skyrocketed, jumping 10-fold in the last few years. Now the surgery is more than cosmetic. Research shows obesity surgery is actually saving lives.
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Carney Wilson: "I weighed 300 pounds - 300!!"
In 1999, singer Carnie Wilson was one of the first to popularize stomach bypass surgery simply to improve her appearance.
Now a new study shows one step further - it found the surgery saves lives. Researchers found obesity surgery actually decreased the risk of death and cardiovascular events like a heart attack in patients who had the surgery. Now that's a real benefit.
Gregg Jossart, M.D: "Obsesity affects the heart in many ways. People can be so obsese that the heart can't pump the blood far enough out, and they actually develop a heart failure from that."
Nick: "I was 520 pounds when I decided to do something about my weight."
Nick was already in the beginning stages of congestive heart failure when he decided on stomach bypass surgery.
Nick: "I was 27 years old when my doctor said I might not see my kids grow up."
A recent study finds for obese patients like Nick, surgery can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by more than a half.
Nick: "This week I lost eight pounds."
After having stomach reduction surgery ten weeks earlier, today Nick is back for a checkup with CPMC obesity surgeon Dr. Gregg Jossart. The scale says he's already lost a lot.
Nick: "I weighed 417, so 103 pounds in 10 weeks."
He says, his heart is back in tip-top shape and he's enjoying other health benefits, as well.
Nick: "My blood pressure is back to the normal range, I've never seen my blood pressure this good. My cholesterol is perfect."
Doc Jossart: "This kind of surgery can help allievate snoring problems, sleep apnea, it cures diabities almost 95% of the time. High cholesterol, high triglycerides, arthritis and joint problems.
For patient's like Nick, stomach bypass surgery can be life-changing.
Nick: "Everyday's a gift, it's great. And the further I get into it the better it is."
Stomach reduction surgery is appropriate for patients who are at least 70 to 100 pounds overweight. And it does have serious risks including death. But as more surgeons do more surgeries those risks seem to decline.
Research Summary: Obesity Surgery
Obesity Surgery results
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