As obesity rates continue to skyrocket, increasing numbers of women and men are seeking permanent solutions to restore their health. In 2010, nearly 300,000 Americans will have some form of weight-loss (bariatric) surgery. Though there are a number of options for types of procedures, patients often lack the information they need to make an informed choice about which one is best for them. Obesity expert and renowned bariatric physician Dr. Kent Sasse provides prospective patients with up-to-date factual information about surgical options in his new e-book, “Weight-loss Surgery: Which One is Right for You? The Cutting Edge of Weight-Loss Surgery Information”
“If you don’t understand the differences between surgical procedures, it’s difficult to make the best choice,” Sasse explains. “Weight Loss Surgery: Which One is Right for You?” explores the most viable surgical options, including gastric bands, gastric bypasses and gastrectomies (a relatively new procedure which involves cutting away a portion of the stomach).
“Weight Loss Surgery: Which One is Right for You?” draws the reader in with an overview of weight-loss operations, discussing the options in detail in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner. And early on, Sasse asks patients to consider a number of factors to determine whether or not any weight loss procedure is the right choice for them.
Much of the invaluable information in “Weight Loss Surgery: Which One is Right for You?” is not otherwise readily available to health care consumers. Sasse notes that individual physicians often specialize in a particular kind of procedure, and thus don’t provide their patients with the available options. He offers an antidote by comparing and contrasting procedures in an unbiased manner. The result is a consumer guide which empowers patients to take an essential step toward successful long-term weight loss: Choosing the right procedure for themselves.
To that end, Sasse points out individual factors such as these be taken into consideration:
Eating behaviors. If the patient is a “grazer” who snacks on small amounts throughout the day, Sasse suggests they think twice before choosing gastric banding, since small amounts of food can “slip through” the band.
Very high body mass index. Sasse recommends that severely obese patients balance the fewer (on average) complications of the gastric band against the more rapid and sustained weight loss that often occurs with gastric bypass.
Adolescent patients. Pointing out that the very idea of weight-loss surgery for teenagers is controversial, Sasse feels that gastric banding, because it is reversible, is the best option.
Older patients. Sasse points out both the unique risks of surgery for seniors and the often-urgent need to address obesity-related conditions in aged patients.
Along with a wealth of information about the procedures themselves, Sasse discusses the subject of privacy (who to tell and how much should you say?) with compassion. And from a practical perspective, “Weight Loss Surgery: Which One is Right for You?” features a chapter on health insurance issues and appendices rich with practical information.
This empathetic, information-
Kent Sasse, MD, MPH, FACS, is a nationally renowned authority on weight loss procedures and a leader in the rapidly growing field of bariatric surgery. He is the author of three books on weight loss and bariatric surgery and numerous scholarly and consumer-oriented articles. Dr. Sasse is founder and medical director of both the iMetabolic International Metabolic Institute and Western Bariatric Institute, a nationally recognized ASBS Center of Excellence.
WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY:
Which One is Right For You? The Cutting Edge of Weight-Loss Surgery Information
Kent Sasse, MD, MPH, FACS
360 Publishing
E-book
Price: $4.95
Publication Date: November 2009
