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M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e
Weight-loss surgery
could be key to weight
loss in new year
M
illions of individuals live with the
chronic disease of morbid obesity.
The disease impacts every system
in the body and can lead to devastating
medical problems, social isolation, emotional
struggles and a decrease in life expectancy.
People who undergo surgery for obesity do
tend to lose substantial amounts of weight
after surgery (50 to 200 pounds or more),
and they have a very good chance of main-
taining that lower weight for life.
Many medical problems improve as the
medical stress caused by weight is reduced.
A few of the most important medical improve-
ments that are seen after bariatric surgery are:
■
■
Diabetes—85 percent resolved.
■
■
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)—
95 percent resolved.
■
■
High blood pressure—60 percent resolved.
■
■
Cancer (all types together)—risk reduced
by about 50 percent.
Surgeons and the rest of the medical
community agree that, for the vast majority
of patients who meet these simple criteria,
bariatric surgery is a medically appropriate
intervention. For most people in this cat-
egory, the risk of surgery is much less than
continuing to live with the excess weight.
The medical criteria to qualify for bariatric
surgery are:
■
■
Body mass index (BMI) over 40.
■
■
BMI over 35, with at least one medical
problem exacerbated by weight.
Some examples of medical conditions that
are understood to be caused or exacerbated
by excess weight include:
■
■
Diabetes (type 2, or insulin resistant).
■
■
High blood pressure (hypertension).
■
■
Obstructive sleep apnea.
■
■
GERD.
■
■
High cholesterol and high lipids.
■
■
Degeneration of the knees or other weight-
bearing joints.
For more information on bariatric surgery
at either Methodist Specialty and Transplant
Hospital or Metropolitan Methodist Hospital,
both campuses of Methodist Hospital, visit
www.healthforlifecenter.com .A
robotic surgical system that is con-
sidered to be a technological leap
forward in replacing large-incision
open surgeries with a minimally
invasive approach was used for the
f irst time in South Texas at
Methodist Hospital and Methodist Specialty and Transplant
Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital. The first proce-
dures were performed in August.
The new da Vinci Xi Surgical System robot gives surgeons
greater dexterity and precision along with 3D-HD visualiza-
tion. The system also can help simplify procedures requiring
access to multiple areas of the pelvis, abdomen or chest. It
was specifically designed for complicated cancer surgeries
where surgeons need greater access. For example, it improves
the surgeon’s ability to remove cancerous tissue in all quad-
rants of the abdomen or chest because of its smaller arms.
“Now with the new Xi System, minimally invasive surgery
is an option for advanced disease cancer patients, instead
of traditional surgery with a large-incision open surgery,”
says
Antonio Santillan-Gomez, MD, MBA, FACOG
, gyne-
cologic oncologist at Cancer Care Centers of South Texas.
“The minimally invasive surgery is less painful, and it allows
for faster recovery so that patients can start the rest of their
treatment sooner.”
“The new system also helps surgeons reach cancerous
tumors that have spread to areas of the body that previously
were inaccessible because of quadrant limitations of prior
minimally invasive technology,” says Santillan-Gomez. He
adds that with the Xi Systemmulti-quadrant surgery can be
performed without repositioning the system, an important
innovation for complex procedures.
The da Vinci Xi System was designed to further advance
the technology used in minimally invasive surgery for
complex diseases and conditions in gynecology, urology,
thoracic, cardiac and general surgery.
For more than a decade, da Vinci Surgical Systems have
enabled surgeons to offer a minimally invasive alternative
to open surgery that aims to reduce many of the costs and
complications associated with open procedures.
By enabling efficient access throughout the pelvis, ab-
domen and chest, the da Vinci Xi System expands upon
the core da Vinci System features, which include wristed
instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion and an
ergonomic design. As with all da Vinci Surgical Systems,
the da Vinci Xi System’s immersive 3D-HD vision system
provides surgeons with a highly magnified view, virtually
extending their eyes and hands into the patient. Compared
with prior da Vinci Systems, the da Vinci Xi System’s key
features include:
●
●
A new overhead instrument arm architecture designed
to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position.
●
●
A simpler, more compact endoscope with improved vi-
sual definition and clarity.
●
●
An ability to attach the endoscope to any arm, providing
flexibility for visualizing the surgical site.
●
●
Smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that
offer a greater range of motion than ever before.
●
●
Longer instrument shafts, giving surgeons greater reach.
DA VINCI
®
XI
FIRST
INSOUTHTEXAS
DISCOVER A NEW YOU
For more information, visit
www.SAHealth.com.GASTRIC
BYPASS
GASTRIC
BAND
BMI decrease
17
(62% of excess)
11
(48% of excess)
Diabetes resolved
84%
48%
High blood pressure
resolved/improved
87%
72%
Sleep apnea improved
85–95% 55–95%
Lipids/cholesterol
improved
94%
71%
GERD resolved
95%
N/A
Gastric bypass vs. gastric band
W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
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K E E P I N G
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