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After Bariatric Surgery, Why Is It Important For Patients To Follow-up? - Dr. DeBarros

 
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More Videos from Dr. John J. DeBarros 17 videos in this series

After Bariatric Surgery, Why Is It Important For Patients To Follow-up? - Dr. DeBarros
After Bariatric Surgery, Why Is It Important For Patients To Follow-up? - ...
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Dr. John DeBarros discusses the importance of bariatric surgery follow-up programs and explains how they differ depending on the type of bariatric procedure. Dr. DeBarros is a skilled bariatric surgeon at Banner Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. DeBarros:
In bariatric surgery, the key to bariatric surgery is to have a successful program, all right? Part of a successful program is not only the psychologist, the dietitian, the exercise physiologist, but it’s also post operative follow-up by doctors. Successful patients, and I mean greater than 99% of all successful patients follow this modality.

Typically you want to have a program that a patient will come in and the program is different and it has to be tailored for different patients. Gastric bypass patients have a different program where they will see the dietitian and the exercise physiologist and the psychologist and the doctor, and these patients have to be followed closely and typically we want to see our gastric bypass patients sometimes twice a year and initially, in the first year for a gastric bypass patient, I see those patients at two weeks, three months, six months, twelve months and then subsequently, every year thereafter. But even in the second year, sometimes it’s twice that second year and then subsequently every year thereafter.

And then they have to have somewhere where they can call for any issues or problems and that’s why you have to go to a program with a bariatric surgeon that has bariatric surgery coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, okay? And there are no taking off nights or weekends or holidays, it should be 24/7 coverage and that should be for all bariatric patients.

LAP-BAND® patients differ because a LAP-BAND® is a little bit more intensive in terms of the follow-up. LAP-BAND® patients, we typically see them up to every six to eight weeks for band adjustments if needed, and because the LAP-BAND® patient’s weight loss is more gradual, with typically it’s about one to two pounds per week, we want to make sure those patients are on target and so, those patients we follow more closely.

And also, the doctor also needs to see these patients because, in our practice here, the doctors do actual band adjustments. In other practices sometimes a nurse practitioner will do it, but in our practice the physicians do it because we want to catch subtle differences in our patients in terms of any potential complications before they come up so we can nip it in the bug.

Now in terms of gastric sleeve patients, we follow those patients sort of at a gastric bypass level, which typically in the first year is every three months and then the second year twice and the third year, yearly thereafter. And we want to also make sure that they are doing well as well, and a battery of tests are also performed when they come into the doctor’s visit depending on what their situations are.

About Dr. John J. DeBarros, M.D., F.A.C.S.:
Dr. John DeBarros is an experienced surgeon and board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of The American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgeons, The American College of Surgeons, The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons and the Maricopa Medical Society.

Keywords:
Condition: Obesity Morbid Obesity, Weight Loss, Morbidly Obese

Related Terms: Bariatric Surgery, Adjustable Gastric Band Procedure, Comorbidities, Nutrition, BMI, Weight Loss, Body Mass Index, LAP-BAND®, Gastric Bypass Surgery

Health Care Provider: Banner Hospital, Banner Medical Center, Banner Bariatric, Banner Estrella Medical Center, Banner Health, Banner Bariatric Center

Location: Phoenix, AZ, Arizona, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, 85037

Expert: Dr. John J. DeBarros, Dr. DeBarros, John J. DeBarros, M.D., Doctor DeBarros, Bariatric Surgery John DeBarros

Expertise: Weight Management, Restorative Health, Bariatric Surgery, Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery, LAP-BAND®, Adjustable Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass Surgery

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