Gastric bypass surgery, not the easy way out

Kalamazoo, MI

Hospitals in Michigan help patients understand gastric bypass surgery and its aftermath.

The latest developments in weight-loss surgery for the morbidly obese have come not in the operating room but in the classroom. Hospitals that do bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass and gastric banding, have in recent years created programs that emphasize pre-surgery education and counseling for potential patients.

The classes and psychological services can help patients can more fully understand the surgery, evaluate whether it is appropriate for them and comprehend the changes in eating habits and exercise they will have to make if they do undergo it.

Both the Bariatrics at Borgess program at Borgess Medical Center and the Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Program at Bronson Methodist Hospital provide patients with these broad-ranging services.

``I think there is a misconception that if you're considering bariatric surgery, you're taking the easy way out,'' said Dr. Stuart Verseman, medical director of Bariatrics at Borgess. ``You're not. You're taking the long way out. Patients really have to change the way they eat and live. The surgery is just a tool to help them.'' More >>

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