Why Choose an Accredited Bariatric Surgery Center?

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) are the only two entities that certify or accredit bariatric surgery programs. Accreditation means that the program has been thoroughly evaluated for safety and effectiveness by a specialized bariatric review team including nationally recognized surgeons.

The ACS Accreditation Program provides confirmation that a bariatric surgery center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality care for its bariatric patients. Accredited bariatric surgery centers provide not only the hospital resources necessary for optimal care of morbidly obese patients, but also the support and resources necessary to address the entire spectrum of care and needs of bariatric patients, including the pre-hospital phase, treatment process and post-operative care. (click for more information on accreditation)

More than just Weight Loss...

It’s difficult to overstate the impact that significant weight loss can have on an individual’s lifestyle and health. High blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and elevated cholesterol are just a few of the complications faced by people who are severely overweight. Because the health consequences of obesity can be so severe and because obesity has reached epidemic proportions in our community and across America, High Point Regional Health System is pleased to offer a low-risk surgical procedure for significant weight loss.

Weight loss, or "bariatric," surgery is a possibility for people who are diagnosed as morbidly obese—meaning that they have more than 100 pounds of excess body weight. To these patients, the Regional Center for Bariatric Surgery offers one of the most effective and least invasive bariatric procedures—mini-gastric bypass surgery (MGB), also known as sleeve gastric bypass surgery (SGB).

What is MGB?

MGB is a minimally invasive procedure that divides the stomach into a long, narrow tube and a separate larger piece. The smaller stomach is attached about 6 feet down in the small intestine. The larger stomach is sealed and left unattached.

The smaller stomach decreases the amount the patient can eat and the bypass of a portion of the small intestine decreases the absorption of fat and calories. In the more than 2,500 patients who have already undergone the procedure, this combination of smaller volume and decreased absorption has resulted in an average weight loss of 140 pounds in one year in a 300-pound patient.


What are the risks and benefits?

While controversy does surround bariatric surgery of all kinds, MGB has been found to be safer than other kinds of bariatric surgery and many patients find that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Independently verified results show that many weight-related medical illnesses were completely resolved after the operation.

• High blood pressure was completely resolved in
   90 percent of cases after the operation
• Diabetes, 92 percent
• Sleep apnea, 90 percent
• Dyspnea on exertion, 88 percent
• Elevated cholesterol, 93 percent
• Elevated triglycerides, 100 percent
• Gastroesophageal reflux, 77 percent
• Edema, 89 percent
• Arthritic pain, 72 percent
• Urinary incontinence, 81 percent

The relative weights of the risks and benefits will differ for each patient. Anyone considering MGB (or any other bariatric surgery), in cooperation with his or her family doctor and a doctor qualified to perform MGB, should make every effort to learn about how the surgery fits with his or her lifestyle.