Here’s why people struggling with weight loss should consider bariatric surgery

By Laura Briedis

There always has been a misconception that bariatric surgery should be the last resort for those who struggle with obesity, but, in fact, patients who have surgery at a younger age fare better as they can avoid many weight-related illnesses later in life.

“Bariatric surgery not only helps patients lose weight and look better, but more importantly, they become healthier,” says Dr. Stephen Masnyj, a bariatric surgeon and Northeast Ohio native who sees patients at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals; UH Ahuja Medical Center; and UH Lake West Medical Center. “It helps ward off obesity-related comorbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and sleep apnea.”

“Obesity has a negative effect on every organ in your body,” adds Dr. Linden Karas, a bariatric and reflux surgeon at UH Geauga Medical Center. “From increasing cancer risks and making migraines worse, to worsening joint pain and so much more.”

Some patients eat a healthy diet and exercise, but other factors can contribute to obesity that they cannot always control, such as genetics as well as environmental and socio-economic factors.

“Many people only consider surgery after they have tried diets and weight-loss medications for decades, but the sooner you come to see us and we can treat your obesity, the more likely you will prevent weight-related medical issues,” says Dr. Karas, who is also a Northeast Ohio native and fluent in both English and French. “I always applaud the young patients who come in as they are helping prevent a lifetime of illness by taking care of their weight.”

The skilled surgeons offer gastric bypass surgery that reduces the size of your upper stomach to a small pouch and reroutes the intestines to decrease the amount of food you can eat and change the way you absorb food, as well as a sleeve gastrectomy procedure that removes up to 85 percent of your stomach, including the portion of your stomach where hunger hormones are generated.

“We can perform these surgeries both laparoscopically and robotically,” says Dr. Masnyj, noting UH Geauga Medical Center has just added a second robot to its high-tech equipment.

This fall, University Hospitals is launching a TeleHealth weight-loss program to make it more convenient for residents in Ashtabula County to get comprehensive care locally. Through the program, patients at rural hospitals, like UH Geneva Medical Center, will be able to meet with Dr. Karas for pre- and post-surgery bariatric TeleHealth appointments. There also are plans to expand the bariatric department to include a pediatric/adolescent program in the future.

In addition to bariatric surgery, UH offers other nonsurgical weight-loss procedures, diet-based programs and nutrition counseling.

“We take a multidisciplinary approach to health care,” says Dr. Masnyj, who is fluent in English and Ukrainian and is a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “It is a true team effort in helping patients on their journey toward a healthier life.”

Are You Eligible for Bariatric Surgery?
To address the obesity epidemic in the U.S.—more than 40 percent of adults are considered obese—the eligibility guidelines for bariatric surgery were updated this past fall. Per the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, a person qualifies for weight-loss surgery based on their body mass index (BMI). The number is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (kg) by the square of their height (m).

Under the new guidelines, eligibility extends to:

• People with a BMI higher than 35, regardless of whether they have accompanying health problems.
• People with a BMI of 30-35 who have a coexisting medical issue, including diabetes.
• Children and adolescents with severe obesity, defined as a BMI that is greater than 120 percent of the 95th percentile.

“In making weight-loss surgery more accessible to the people who need it, those people can then get approved for other procedures like transplants or joint replacements, which often require a lower BMI,” says Dr. Linden Karas.

Visit UHHospitals.org/weightloss and fill out the form to see if you are a candidate.

To learn more about bariatric surgery at UH, visit: UHhospitals.org/weightloss.