Bariatric Surgery Options
If you are considering weight-loss surgery, the bariatric surgeons at UCI Medical Center offer hope for vastly improved health.
Overweight and obese patients are at greater risk for developing many life-threatening conditions including:
- Diabetes
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Heart disease
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- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Joint damage
- Severe sleep apnea
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A safe alternative
Traditional diets have a poor success rate among people who are 100 pounds or more over their ideal body weight. An alternative is bariatric surgery, which is safer and less invasive when performed by highly trained and experienced specialists.
Bariatric surgery patients not only lose significant weight, studies show they also experience a 60 percent to 80 percent improvement in obesity-related health problems. Weight-loss surgery works better than medications to control blood sugar in overweight and moderately obese people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2012.
You may be a candidate for bariatric surgery if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more—or 35 or more in combination with such health problems as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
Calculate your BMI ›
We also offer a medically supervised weight-loss program for individuals who are not ideal candidates for bariatric surgery, or those who do not want surgery.
Surgical options
The weight-loss team at UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange County’s only university hospital, offers people in Orange County and surrounding communities the latest laparoscopic surgical options, including:
Bariatric surgery for pseudotumor cerebri (PTC)
Weight-loss surgery can resolve another complication of severe obesity: pseudotumor cerebri (PTC). Also called idiopathic intracranial hypertension, PTC is associated with severe headaches, peripheral vision problems, elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure and a type of tinnitus.
Studies show that bypass surgery is the long-term procedure of choice for severely obese patients with PTC, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Revisional weight-loss surgery
Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery sometimes need a second procedure, either because of complications from the original surgery or problems that result in poor weight loss or the regaining of weight.
Our specialists use the most advanced and least invasive surgical techniques to make needed adjustments and to help patients achieve more successful weight loss and improved health.
Comprehensive body contouring
After significant weight loss, many bariatric surgery patients seek plastic surgery to remove excess skin around the torso, arms and legs. Our team includes experts in body-contouring procedures that include belt lipectomy, medial thigh lift, upper body lift, breast reshaping and arm lifts.
What to expect
If you are considering weight-loss surgery, our UCI Health team delivers comprehensive, personalized care throughout your journey to good health and body transformation.
You receive:
- A thorough evaluation by our bariatric team and a personalized treatment plan that includes visits with bariatric anesthesiologists and other healthcare professionals
- Consultations with a registered dietician and our team social worker, who takes you through each step, monitoring you for vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a healthy rate of weight loss
- Consultations with our leading expert in body contouring after achieving your weight-loss goal.
For more information or to request a consultation, please call us at 888-454-8131.
- Diabetes
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Heart disease
|
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Joint damage
- Severe sleep apnea
|
