Jefferson University Hospitals

Surgery the only treatment scientifically proven reliable in treating morbid obesity

Today, more than half of Americans are overweight or obese. As David S. Tichansky, MD, of the Jefferson Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program explains, one in 25 American adults is morbidly obese – that is, roughly 100 pounds overweight or roughly 75 pounds overweight with other weight-related conditions, such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and/or high cholesterol.

Dr. Tichansky notes that obesity is a significant cause of premature death and a major contributor to many other diseases and conditions, including stroke, reflux, arthritis, gallbladder disease, incontinence, polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility.

“Once a person is classified as morbidly obese, his or her odds of losing substantial weight – and keeping it off – without surgical treatment is about 5 percent,” he says. “The unfortunate reality is that diet and exercise programs will fail 95 percent of these people over the long term.”

The case for weight-loss surgery

According to Dr. Tichansky, surgery continues to be the only treatment that’s scientifically proven as reliable in treating morbid obesity. Weight-loss surgery causes significant – and sustained – weight loss.

In fact, Dr. Tichansky says that the average patient loses 60 to 70 percent of his or her excess weight following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 40 percent of excess weight following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Most of this weight loss occurs in the first 1.5 years. After either surgery, diseases associated with weight – such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea –  dramatically improve or go away completely. Many patients also experience improvement in reflux, joint pain, weight-associated infertility, high cholesterol and other conditions.

The advantages of a laparoscopic approach

Through the Jefferson Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program, individuals can undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

“Laparoscopy has revolutionized weight-loss surgery,” Dr. Tichansky notes. “The weight loss achieved is similar to older open procedures. However, because smaller incisions are less painful, patients breathe more fully postoperatively and get out of bed the night of their surgery. This can lead to fewer problems with postoperative pneumonia, as well as lower odds of blood clots in the legs postoperatively.”

What’s more, Dr. Tichansky says that earlier walking and less pain also helps allow hospitalization to be only one day for gastric banding and two days for gastric bypass. And when patients get home, they are able to do more activities, and their recovery to regular activities is faster. Some postoperative complications very common to open bariatric surgery – hernias and wound infections, for example – have also been reduced with laparoscopy.

For more information

Learn more about at the Jefferson Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program website.