SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which is the largest national society for this specialty, says its most-recent data shows surgeons performed nearly 300,000 metabolic and bariatric procedures in the U.S.
But, the number has dropped since the introduction of popular prescriptions of diabetes and weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Studies show both are effective ways for patients, who are considered obese, to lose weight.
“I didn’t go to the grocery store because it was painful,” said Jennifer Anderson, Patient. “It hurt too if I had to stand in line.” For 15 years, Jennifer Anderson thought about weight loss surgery before she decided to trust CNOS to do her gastric sleeve procedure. “I got very crabby because it just was uncomfortable, right? Jennifer Anderson said.
Jennifer’s husband, Travis was dealing with the same weight-related aches and pains. “Back hurt,” said Travis Anderson, Patient. “Feet hurt. Things were difficult. Work was work was difficult. Get on and off a forklift, getting in and out of vehicles, going fishing, anything that was difficult because the weight.
So, together, the Andersons made the decision to both undergo gastric sleeve weight loss surgery on the same day. “She came for an appointment to see to see (Dr.) Hegvik and meet with him,” said Travis Anderson. “And then I decided that day that yes, I’m going to do it also.”
It’s a decision that, for many, may be months or even years in the making. “The main thing I like to do is find out from them what’s your goal, what is the idea?” said Kathy Hart, CNOS bariatric nurse. “From that point on is to kind of help them achieve that. Help them follow that plan.”
That starts with the initial consultation with bariatric surgeon Dr. Jim Hegvik. “We do it as a group, we come into this room, we sit down and I go through the risk and benefits and kind of the discussion about which operation that we offer,” said Dr. Jim Hegvik, CNOS bariatric surgeon.
Jennifer and Travis Anderson both had the gastric sleeve procedure. But, CNOS also offers another surgical option… gastric bypass. “We reroute some of the small intestine in the gastro bypass,” said Hegvik. “And, in the sleeve, we don’t have to do that. Just divide the stomach and take out about 80. In the gastric bypass, nothing is removed or is taken out of the body. We just reroute it to a smaller stomach.”
Physician assistant Brenda Van Scoyk works with Dr. Hegvik during those procedures. And, she doesn’t mince words when it comes to the investment patients make when they choose weight loss surgery. “A lot of people will think you know, bariatric surgery is the easy way out, said Van Scoyk, CNOS physician assistant in general surgery. “And it’s really not. There’s a lot of physical, mental and emotional changes that they go through from the time they decide.”
But, once that decision is made, the work really begins for those patients. “We want to make sure that a patient is not only physically healthy and ready to go through the surgery, but that they’re also mentally ready for the changes and the stressors that can come,” said Megan Cleveland, registered dietician.
Insurance does cover weight loss surgery in some cases. But, that depends on your insurance plan. Some providers might require several months worth of education with a dietitian. Your body mass index, or BMI, also matters. There are other conditions, called comorbities, to consider. That can include diabetes, and cardiac problems.
But, CNOS insurance specialists can help you navigate the process. “So we want to make that process, as easy as possible,” said Heather Garlinghouse, CNOS Bariatric Coordinator. “I don’t want the patients to have to deal with those insurance companies, so we do all that for them.”
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