Bariatric Surgery: What Can Patients Expect At Banner Estrella Medical Center? - Dr. Orris

Dr. Orris:
First of all knowledge is compliance; knowledge is success. So therefore, we have to educate the patient before surgery about the pathophysiology, the change of anatomy that they are going to undergo with their surgery. That is very important. Their nutritional demands, how that will change, not just fats, carbs, proteins and caloric intake, but the times of day they are taking in their calories, the texture of their food.

Next is, once they understand the surgery completely, then we offer the surgical procedure. Either they leave the same day or they stay as in inpatient, whatever surgery they receive has a different hospital stay.

After that hospital stay we will see the patient post-operatively and the patient would be seen by my dietitian, as well as one of the surgeons, and we will just make sure that the patient is surgically stable and make sure that they attain their nutritional goals.

Next is, they have to go over the program. At this time they either start getting their band fills, or if they are gastric bypass patients they will just follow with the nutritionist and get the appropriate post-op labs, but it’s not only that, then it goes to exercise physiology. So it’s the entire umbrella is, surgical weight loss with the aid of diet, exercise, and behavior modification and really educate the patient.

We also offer monthly support groups where the patient can either go online and we webcast the support groups, or they could actually come to the support group. The support group is run by our psychologist, exercise physiologist, and bariatric nutritionist and the psychologist will also see the patient in this multidisciplinary approach, not only pre-op, to screen the patient out in a psychological sense, but also to offer realistic goals and expectations. “What are you doing now? This is what we expect you to doing; this is what your expected outcome should and could be,” as realistic for the patient.

What are the external influences on the patient, which is also integral for success because we also understand that, not only is the patient undergoing this surgery, not only are they undergoing this lifestyle change, but this is going to influence all those around them and we really try to encompass not only, again, the patient, but all their significant others and encourage them to bring them to their office visits or to their support groups.

For each band fill the patient will come in and they are going to see the dietician. They are going to go over calorie counts. They are going to go over what they are eating and when they are eating it and then we are going to see if their weight loss is optimized.

If their weight loss is not optimized, is it a surgical issue? Is it a psychological issue? Is it an exercise issue, or is it a dietary issue? And we fine-tune that and that’s in department that we send them to and that’s what concentrates on them. Usually it’s a little bit of both or little bit it encompasses all those modalities.

So that’s kind of how our program differs, and in using the surgery as a tool and not the ‘end all be all’ it allows for a greater percentage of excess weight loss of what we are seeing with our patients.

About Dr. Michael J. Orris, D.O., M.B.A.:
Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Michael Orris completed his surgical residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. As a surgeon he recognized the negative impact that excess weight has on society, and developed a passion for helping patients attain and maintain a healthy body weight.

To Find A Weight Loss Information Session Near You, Click Here

More on This

Post Weight Loss Plastic Surgery

Kelley Howard: My Lap Band Surgery in Mexico, Part 6

Bariatric Surgery: Freeing the Prisoner in Your Own Body

Order Matters: Breast Reduction and Weight Loss Surgery

Tags:

• Bariatric Surgery