How Can Bariatric Surgery Help Patients with Comorbidities?
Obesity is a chronic disease that can lead to several comorbidities.
A comorbidity is a disease that is strongly related to the primary disease. In the case of morbid obesity (having a BMI of at least 35), examples of comorbidities are hypertension, arthritis, sleep apnea, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or soft tissue infections.
Many insurance companies consider these comorbidities and the patient’s BMI when they evaluate coverage weight loss procedures.
Bariatric surgery to treat comorbidities
Bariatric surgery is the only effective treatment for morbid obesity.
As patients lose weight, they will also notice changes in their symptoms and medications. In type 2 diabetes, for example, the procedure can have a significant impact, leading to less or no use of medications.
Another study also shows that arthritis, another obesity-related comorbidity, improves after weight loss surgery.
The surgery doesn’t just lighten the burden of obesity but also lowers the markers for inflammation which is part of arthritis and joint pain.
In a separate study, researchers found out that compared to the pre-surgical period, there is a significant reduction in cardiovascular disorders, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system after 3 years of having the weight loss procedure. There is also a noticeable reduction in the use of medications for these conditions.
Is bariatric surgery right for you?
If your BMI is or greater than 40 (or more than 100 lbs overweight) OR a BMI of 35 with at least one obesity-related comorbidity and unable to achieve significant weight loss even with medically supervised diet, then you may qualify for bariatric surgery.
To help you make a more informed decision, superstar surgeon, Dr. K Robert Willams and his team at New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery in Knoxville, TN offer a FREE info series for all bariatric patients. This educational seminar provides you with more information about bariatric surgery and provides you an opportunity to ask questions about it.
New Life offers one in-person seminar each month, but if you prefer to do it within the comfort of your own home, we also have an online video presentation.
To sign up, you may click this link. For questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at (865) 694-9676.
New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is part of Premier Surgical Bariatrics in Knoxville, Tennessee. New LIfe is affiliated with the Parkwest Center for Bariatric Surgery, part of Covenant Health Bariatric Services.