If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Higa, please call our office at 503-434-6060.

According to the National Institutes of Health, anyone weighing 20 percent or more than the ideal for his or her body is obese. At that point, the extra weight becomes a health risk, contributing to a number of conditions – many of them life-threatening.

One way to determine whether you are obese is by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI). An individual whose BMI is in the 25-29.9 range is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher signals obesity. A BMI of 40 or greater is considered morbidly obese, or obesity at a level significant enough to be life-threatening.

 

Calculate Your Body Mass Index

If you are obese, weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) may be an option to help you control your weight. To qualify, you should:

• Have a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater with or without comorbidities (medical problems or conditions that negatively affect your health)
• Be between the ages of 14 and 65
• Be able to show serious past attempts to lose weight medically, through exercise, or through programs such as Weight Watchers® or Jenny Craig®
• Have no significant problems – physical, medical, emotional or psychological – that would make surgery unnecessarily risky
• Be able to participate in treatment and lifetime follow-up

Weight loss surgery has been studied for approximately 20 years. Early complications are directly related to the operative procedure. These include but are not limited to infection, bleeding, and intestinal leakage. In all reported series, the long-term risks of morbid obesity far outweigh the risks of the surgery.

 

Weight loss using conservative measures (diet, exercise, drugs, behavior modification, etc.) fail 95 to 97 percent of the time. The medical literature overwhelmingly supports weight loss surgery as the only effective reatment that stands the test of time. Data for weight loss are reported as excess weight loss. This is reported as a percentage of the excess weight that is lost. Weight loss following surgery for morbid obesity varies, depending on many factors, including the patient’s age, initial weight, ability to exercise, and the type of operation. The average excess weight loss following a Roux-en-Y morbid obesity surgery at our Arcadia offices is 60 to 70 percent. Weight loss reaches a peak 12 to 18 months following surgery. After two years, it is not unusual to gain 10 to 15 pounds and then stabilize.

Absolute weight loss is not as important as quality of life. Weight loss surgery can cure or control many of the serious diseases that accompany morbid obesity. Most diabetic patients improve dramatically, many of them not requiring medication after morbid obesity surgery. High blood pressure resolves in over 50 percent of patients. Unfortunately, this resolution may not be permanent and hypertension may recur later in life. Sleep apnea improves or disappears, often early in the weight loss period. The same may happen with urinary incontinence, acid reflux, or menstrual problems. Swelling of the legs and joint pain often improve. The changes in cholesterol and other blood lipids may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Many infertile women are able to conceive and have safer pregnancies.