10th Sep, 2021
Anyone considering weight-loss surgery is going to have a lengthy list of questions, which is entirely appropriate. Chief among them relates to safety. Here's the short answer - yes, weight-loss surgery, or metabolic surgery, is extremely safe. In fact, weight-loss surgery is safer than an appendectomy, a hernia repair, hysterectomy, and nearly every routine surgical procedure performed in the United States. What's more, weight-loss surgery reduces risks… Read more »
27th Aug, 2021
One of the most common questions among people researching weight-loss surgery is whether the procedure is covered by insurance. The short answer is yes. Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery or more specifically metabolic surgery, is covered by Medicare, TRICARE, virtually every federal plan, most state Medicaid programs, and most commercial health insurance plans. Insurance Coverage & Restrictions Regrettably, there are still a few… Read more »
20th Aug, 2021
Dr. Sasse is a regular contributor at Sixty and Me, an online community with 500,000 women over age 60. In a recent post, he answers a common question among those considering metabolic surgery—how much weight can someone expect to lose following weight-loss surgery? From the Post Dr. Sasse clarifies that while pounds lost is an important number, there are other equally important outcomes from weight… Read more »
16th Jul, 2021
No one likes to think of themselves as unhealthy. And like so many other health conditions, excess weight takes its toll over a long period of time, over a span of years of aging. So it's inevitable that many individuals feel good, participate fully in life, do not take any current medications, and feel pretty healthy, all in spite of excess weight. It leads a… Read more »
9th Jul, 2021
The FDA recently approved a new weight-loss drug, called Wegovy, intended for those who are either obese or overweight with at least one weight-related medical condition. And while we enthusiastically welcome any new tools in the fight against devastating obesity and type 2 diabetes, we do have a word of caution about "revolutionary" weight-loss medications. A Reason for Skepticism Wegovy is a "me-too" drug and… Read more »
25th Jun, 2021
In a new series, we’re debunking persistent myths of weight loss surgery. Read the first in our series, Weight Loss Surgery Myths Debunked - You'll Have Terrible Scars. The idea that you'll probably gain back the weight following weight-loss surgery is another common myth. But is it true? According to the largest, most comprehensive studies around the globe, the answer is no. The Weight Regain Myth… Read more »
4th Jun, 2021
After metabolic surgery, people report far less hunger and a greater sense of fullness or satisfaction after less food. But how does this occur? It turns out that hunger and fullness are both a lot more complicated than researchers once thought. Some of us feel hungry almost every minute of every waking day, while others only feel their hunger stir with external cues such as… Read more »
28th May, 2021
For teenagers with severe obesity, is metabolic surgery an option now or should it wait until they reach adulthood? What are the risks, and what are the advantages? These challenging questions have been considered by both parents and doctors for many years, and some of the recommendations may surprise you. Obesity in Teenagers Let us start with recognizing the problem. An alarming number of children… Read more »
21st May, 2021
We are sometimes asked if it makes sense to travel to undergo surgery—i.e. medical tourism—and in my field, the question often relates to travel to Mexico for bariatric surgery. There are three considerations someone should make in this scenario. These relate to the risks, the remedy for any complications, and what someone might truly be gaining by traveling to Mexico for the procedure. Many years ago,… Read more »
14th May, 2021
Some of the most common questions that arise after bariatric surgery are listed below with answers that usually hold true for just about everyone. Post-operative questions tend to differ from pre-operative questions because now the surgery has already taken place, and certain things may not be fully in line with pre-operative expectations. In other cases, new concerns arise that were just never covered or addressed… Read more »