Do Doctors Recommend Bariatric Surgery as a Matter of Course?
With an estimated third of the American population considered obese, it’s not surprising that weight loss is a very big industry. New devices, gadgets, diets and exercise plans all meant to help people lose weight seem to pop in and out of favor all the time. While fads come and go, bariatric surgery remains one of the only approaches that is proven to provide sustainable and significant weight loss support for people who are considered severely obese. Procedures such as the gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy have also been proven to help address such related concerns as heart disease and diabetes.
While the benefits of bariatric surgery are very well-known and highly publicized both inside and outside of the medical profession, patients may wonder if doctors really do recommend these procedures to their patients. A recent survey of healthcare providers, including a diversity of specialties such as family medicine, found that answer to the question was a resounding yes.
Of the more than 1,050 healthcare providers surveyed, more than 75 percent said they believe the benefits of surgery outweigh any risks for morbidly obese patients. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they personally recommend such procedures to their own patients when morbid obesity is a concern. Doctors preferred the slightly less-invasive gastric sleeve procedure (31 percent) a bit more versus the gastric bypass (29 percent). Only a few recommended other surgical interventions, such as the duodenal switch or banding.
Obesity is strongly linked with serious, life-limiting health concerns such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. People who are morbidly obese or are at risk of becoming so are urged to talk with their healthcare providers. if serious obesity is a concern, bariatric surgery, as the survey showed, may be a doctor’s top recommendation for addressing weight effectively over the long-term.
While the benefits of bariatric surgery are very well-known and highly publicized both inside and outside of the medical profession, patients may wonder if doctors really do recommend these procedures to their patients. A recent survey of healthcare providers, including a diversity of specialties such as family medicine, found that answer to the question was a resounding yes.
Of the more than 1,050 healthcare providers surveyed, more than 75 percent said they believe the benefits of surgery outweigh any risks for morbidly obese patients. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they personally recommend such procedures to their own patients when morbid obesity is a concern. Doctors preferred the slightly less-invasive gastric sleeve procedure (31 percent) a bit more versus the gastric bypass (29 percent). Only a few recommended other surgical interventions, such as the duodenal switch or banding.
Obesity is strongly linked with serious, life-limiting health concerns such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. People who are morbidly obese or are at risk of becoming so are urged to talk with their healthcare providers. if serious obesity is a concern, bariatric surgery, as the survey showed, may be a doctor’s top recommendation for addressing weight effectively over the long-term.
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