The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in all major socioeconomic and ethnic groups, including children and younger adults between the ages of 25 and 44. Many physicians consider a person to be obese if he/she weighs more than 20% above expected weight for age, height and body build. Morbid or malignant obesity is usually considered to be any weight in excess of 100 pounds above that expected for age, height, and build.

If you are morbidly obese and have tried every diet, every medication, and every lifestyle change with no long-lasting results, the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology obesity clinic team offers an option that might save your life. A technique known as bariatric laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical technique that modifies the stomach, enabling patients to lose weight that may be threatening to their health. This technique reduces the size of the stomach that receives food, and yet allows the natural function of the stomach to continue to the other organs and systems of the digestive tract.  Bariatric laparoscopic surgery, combined with exercise and a sensible diet, has proven effective for thousands of patients.

Bariatric Surgery Clinic Team

• Bruce Schirmer, MD
• Anna Dietrich-Covington, RN, BSN, CBN
  Bariatric Care Coordinator
• Mary Simmons, RD
• Libby Rexrode, RN, BSN
  Bariatric Care Coordinator
• Michael Miller -
  Insurance Specialist

Patient Resources and Links

• National Institutes of Health - Weight Loss and Control Information
• WLS Lifestyles Magazine - Dedicated to Weight Loss Surgery
• The American Obesity Association

For more information on this life saving technique please email Anna Miller or phone 434-924-5852.