MOUNT VERNON – Knox Community Hospital has a variety of treatment programs for people who want to lose weight.
Options include wellness and nutrition coaching, medication and weight-loss surgeries to help people "regain a healthier, more productive life," the hospital said on its website.
The surgical options include gastric sleeve and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
In gastric sleeve surgery, a few small incisions are made on the abdomen. With a fiber-optic instrument called a laparoscope, the surgeon removes a portion of the stomach, which reduces the size of the stomach and changes the hormones that affect hunger.
"Following gastric sleeve surgery, patients can expect to lose an average of 50-60% of their excess weight," the hospital said. "It is imperative for participants that elect to have a surgical weight-loss intervention to realize upfront that surgery is not a 'quick-fix,' but rather it is a tool for success, just like diet, exercise and follow-ups with members of their health care team."
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is also performed with a laparoscope by making a few small incisions on the abdomen.
"A small stomach pouch is created, decreasing the capacity (size) of the stomach," the hospital said. "A portion of the small bowel is rerouted to the new pouch, bypassing the top portion of the bowel. This causes malabsorption, which causes a decrease in the amount of calories that are absorbed from the food that is eaten, and it also affects the hunger hormones."
Just like gastric sleeve surgery, Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass requires effort from the patient to make sure it is effective.
"In order to have successful outcomes, patients should expect to commit to a lifetime of managing not only their weight but overall health," the hospital said.
There are many health benefits to losing weight, such as lowering the risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea and other conditions, the hospital noted.
"My advice to anyone thinking about weight-loss surgery at KCH: Make the appointment ... meet the team, it's life-changing, they only want you to win ... your success is their success," one patient said.
Another told a similar story.
"I have lost 120 pounds and 10 pants sizes!" she wrote. "I feel amazing. I used to hate to shop; and now, well, it's fun!! I don't sleep as much as I used to; I'm almost always up and doing something. I'm loving life!"
