According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2002, approximately 27.5 percent of West Virginians were classified as obese – defined as having a body mass index of 40 or greater, or being at least 100 pounds overweight.
At WVU, our Bariatric Surgery Program offers a team approach for the treatment of obesity. Our team – under the direction of Ehab Akkary, MD – includes dietitians, clinical psychologists, physical therapists, and others who work with each patient before, during, and after the surgery to ensure our patients receive the best care.
The surgeons who make up our team specialize in minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques, resulting in much less post-operative pain and faster recovery. Depending on the needs of the patient, open surgery is also available.
Additionally, we have access to healthcare experts who provide a complete range of specialty care and state-of-the-art imaging and scanning services, which help us deliver a quality of care unavailable anywhere else in the region.
Follow up care available at WVU includes board-certified plastic surgeons able to provide body contouring expertise to patients who may need those services.
Candidates for bariatric surgery include patients who are at least 18 years old, who are at least 100 pounds overweight, and who have tried and failed to lose weight through other means, including at least one medically supervised weight loss program.
If you are considering weight loss surgery at WVU, the first step is to attend a free informational seminar, where you will receive an information packet and learn more about our medical team.
Weight loss surgery is major surgery. It is not a cosmetic operation. Those interested in pursuing it should consider it to be permanent and should only make the decision after careful consideration and consultation with an experienced bariatric surgeon or knowledgeable family physician.
For more information, visit http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/surgery/divisions/bariatric. To make a reservation for the seminar, call 304-293-6386.
