Ask the Doctor: Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Additional videos
Have you ever found yourself with a
medical question in the middle of the
night? Winthrop is using the power of
social media to help answer your medical
questions whenever they may arise
through its “Ask the Doctor” series on
YouTube. In each video, you can watch
Winthrop physicians discuss the most
frequently asked questions about medical
conditions, treatments and procedures.
Below is an excerpt from Winthrop’s
“Ask the Doctor: Bariatric Weight Loss
Surgery” video with Collin Brathwaite,
MD, Chief of the Division of Minimally
Invasive and Bariatric Surgery and
Director of the Bariatric Surgery Center
at Winthrop:
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery is that class of surgical
procedures that is performed by a surgeon
to assist a patient in losing weight.
Are there different types of
bariatric surgery?
There are different types of bariatric
surgery. A procedure may be simply a
restrictive procedure where a band is
placed around the stomach, for instance.
Or, it may be as involved as a bypass type
procedure where, in fact, we create a small
pouch with the stomach and then bypass
part of the intestines and attach it to the
pouch. And, for each of these procedures,
there may be different consequences,
different rates of weight loss, etc.
Can bariatric surgery be done with
minimally invasive techniques?
At Winthrop, we do 99 percent of our
[bariatric] procedures using laparoscopic
techniques or robotic surgery. And in
fact, we were the first hospital in the
state to incorporate robotics for bariatric
surgery. This contributes to less pain for
the patient and safer
outcomes, and we’re
proud to offer this.
Is bariatric surgery the
best way to lose weight?
Bariatric surgery is not
necessarily the best way
to lose weight, but it is
the way that is available
for those patients who
have tried everything
else. And certainly it’s
not the first resort in
losing weight, but
should be a last resort
after a person has tried diet, exercise,
behavioral therapy, etc. So it’s not necessarily
the best way, but it can certainly
help a patient who has exhausted other
means of losing weight.
How much weight can a person lose
with bariatric surgery?
The weight loss after bariatric surgery
really is dependent on the effort of the
patient. In general, most patients can
expect to lose 50-80 percent of their
excess body weight. However, I should
caution that it really is important that
the patient is participating in the process,
that the surgery is really only a tool to
help them achieve this weight loss.
Those patients who follow up with their
physicians, attend support groups, and
are much more involved and incorporate
all the aspects of a comprehensive program,
are much more successful than
patients who simply have an operation
and really don’t do anything else. So,
healthy choices in terms of eating, portion
control, and, certainly, some form
of an exercise program are very important
in achieving ultimate success.
If a person is considering
bariatric surgery, what should
their first step be?
If you are considering bariatric surgery,
the first step would really be to gather as
much information as you can about the
surgery, the procedures, and outcomes.
Then we invite you to attend one of our
educational seminars, and you can contact
us at 1-866-WINTHROP to get
more information about when and
where these seminars take place.
To watch more videos and learn
more about bariatric surgery, or to
view any other videos in Winthrop’s
“Ask the Doctor” series, visit
www.youtube.com/WinthropHosp.
A board-certified surgeon and critical care specialist with expertise in a range of general
surgery procedures, Dr. Brathwaite is highly regarded in the field of bariatric weight loss
surgery. Dr. Brathwaite is distinguished nationwide as a leader in the development and
standardization of bariatric surgery practices. He has served as a consultant to the New
York State Health Department and New York Health Plan Association in the development
of bariatric surgery guidelines for the state of New York.
Additional videos in Winthrop’s “Ask the Doctor” Series include:
