Reports on diseases related to excess body weight and the difficult course of COVID-19 in obese patients increased the interest in available methods obesity treatment. Surgical treatment is gaining popularity, characterized by high efficiency, low invasiveness, and its impact on the patient’s well-being, experts argue, is enormous.
As shown by epidemiological studies [1], more than half of Poles have a problem with excess body weight. Obesity has become a more serious challenge than before in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, during which almost every second active Pole significantly reduced physical activity [2]. Experts point to a trend of increased interest in obesity treatment. They see the reasons for the increased awareness of Poles about the negative impact of the pandemic on their health, but also the impact of obesity itself on their health, including the severe course of COVID-19. There is also the logistic thread – those who wanted to treat obesity during the pandemic were hindered by the decisions of many hospitals to postpone qualifying visits and postpone planned surgical procedures. Increased interest of patients in the surgical treatment of obesity was noted by the Medicover Hospital, which performed nearly 100 advanced bariatric procedures in a pandemic time.
– We observe a significant increase in the interest in obesity treatment. This is probably due to the fact that during the pandemic, many people reduced their physical activity and was exposed to extreme stress. Additionally, the numerous observations showing the more severe course of COVID-19 in obese patients have opened the eyes of many people about this condition, which has finally come to be properly viewed on a large scale as an insidious and chronic disease. – says Michał Janik, MD, PhD, surgeon-bariatrician from Medicover Hospital.
– Patients are determined to effectively eliminate obesity, therefore, during the pandemic, the most popular surgical treatment of obesity. The most popular method of this type of treatment, which we offer to our patients, is a sleeve gastrectomy performed using a minimally invasive method. – he adds. In addition to gastric resection, obesity treatment specialists also perform Roux gastric exclusion procedures (an operation known as Gastric Bypass) or inserting a special balloon into the stomach for a period of 6 or 12 months.
As the Medicover Hospital expert argues, gastric resection gives impressive results, especially when the patient is run not only by a bariatrician, but also under the care of a whole team, including a dietitian and psychologist, and, if necessary, also specialists from other fields of medicine.
– The operation in conjunction with the intervention of a dietitian and psychologist gives a real chance to maintain the effect of the procedure for the next years and, in practice, to start a new life. But what is most important – bariatric surgery leads to increased life expectancy in obese patients – comments Dr. Janik.
Current indications for surgery include patients whose BMI is at least 35 kg / m2 and have obesity-related diseases or BMI exceeds 40 kg / m2. These indications, as suggested by Dr. Michał Janik, may soon change. For medical reasons, it is now possible to perform these operations on patients in the BMI 30-35 kg / m range2. However, in this range, these operations are only performed in a commercial mode.
– Recently, there are many studies that show a significant benefit of sleeve gastrectomy in the group of patients whose body mass index is in the range of 30 to 35 kg / m2 and there are carbohydrate disorders (e.g. type 2 diabetes). This gives a chance for a more effective way out of the “obesity pandemic” – he says.
Michał Janik, MD, PhD, together with his team, developed an application that allows to estimate the weight loss of patients after sleeve gastrectomy. The intention of the “PREDICT BMI” tool is to increase patients’ awareness of the real possibilities of permanent weight loss, which is to ultimately not only educate, but also motivate the process of further treatment.
The Obesity Treatment Clinic of the Medicover Hospital does not focus only on a single consultation or surgery, but takes care of the patient in a comprehensive manner. Starting from in-depth diagnostics, through the selection of the appropriate weight loss method, it guarantees patients long-term support and help in changing their lifestyle.
More at www.odchudzanie.medicover.pl
[1] https: //www.medTvoiLokony/strefa-mamy-i-dziecka/dbam-o-zdrowie-dziecka-i-rodzin,otylosc-wsrod-dzieci—powazny-problem—ktory-generuje-kolejne,artykul,50415210 .html
[2] https://www.ipsos.com/pl-pl/covid-365-wyniki-badania-po-roku-pandemii
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