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 »
6th Aug, 2021
In a recent post on Sixty & Me, Dr. Sasse discusses a recommended treatment for type 2 diabetes. According to the latest update to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Associates recommends metabolic surgery as a treatment for diabetes. Surprised? Here's why. From the Article "Experienced centers around the world have achieved complete or substantial remission of Type 2 diabetes in a… 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 »
2nd Jul, 2021
In a new series, we’re debunking persistent myths of weight loss surgery. Read the first and second posts in our series, Weight-Loss Surgery Myths Debunked - You'll Have Terrible Scars, and Weight-Loss Surgery Myths - You'll Probably Gain Back the Weight. The idea that you'll miss out on key nutrients following weight-loss surgery isn't true. But like every myth, underneath is a kernel of truth somewhere, so let… 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 »
18th Jun, 2021
Diet and exercise are enough when you do them right—or so we are told. Just mind your diet and exercise, right? This is something we've heard since childhood. And how could such straightforward, commonsense advice possibly be wrong? Unfortunately, it's the wrong strategy for treating obesity. Here's why the medical management of obesity isn't nearly enough. Widespread Environmental Changes Let us start by acknowledging that the… Read more »
11th Jun, 2021
In a new series, we're debunking persistent myths of weight loss surgery. Is it true that weight-loss surgery will leave you with terrible scars? It's a common misconception, but it's not true. Today, minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopic surgery normally creates four or five small incisions ranging from 5 to 20 mm in length. For most people, the scars fade with time and become very… Read more »