We are pleased to announce that California Pacific Medical Center has been deemed a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. What this means for our patients is that while complications are possible in any surgery, the rate of complications from surgery performed at a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence are extremely low.

Who is a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

California Pacific met a comprehensive set of criteria to become a Center of Excellence. The hospital, surgery program, and the bariatric surgeons went through an extensive evaluation to gain this certification. According to the Bariatric Surgery Services Medical Director, John J. Feng, MD, FACS, "The Bariatric Surgery Program at California Pacific must demonstrate its competence in efficient and complete care of patients with emphasis on optimizing good outcomes."

Not Everyone is a Candidate

Not everyone is a candidate for bariatric surgery. Patients must be considered "morbidly obese" or about 100 lbs over their ideal body weight. They must have attempted and failed other medically supervised weight loss methods, and they must be committed to making permanent eating and lifestyle changes before being considered eligible for bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery is considered by many to be the only long-term effective therapy to treat morbid obesity and the many debilitating conditions it can cause. Although there are risks with any surgery, patients often find that the benefits of improved health and quality of life far outweigh the risks.

Obesity in America

According to 1999-2002 data obtained from the CDC, over 129 million Americans ages 20 – 74 are overweight. This means 65% of adults in America are overweight and of this 65%, 31% are obese. Measured using the Body Mass Index (BMI), a person who has a BMI of 25 or higher is considered overweight while a person who has a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese. Also according to the same data source, over 15% of children are obese and another 15% are at risk for becoming obese.

Weight Related Health Risk Factors

Being overweight puts a person at a high risk for developing numerous health conditions that compromise not only their quality of life but also their life expectancy. These conditions include:

Cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder)

Diabetes

Gallbladder disease

Heart disease

Hypertension

Joint disease

Sleep apnea and other breathing problems

Stroke

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

If you are currently at a healthy weight, making healthy food choices and incorporating exercise into your daily routine can help you maintain your weight and stay fit.

Use some of these ideas and tips:

Teach your family to eat smart by offering a wide selection of healthy food choices.

Eat meals as a family at least once each day.

Discouraging over-eating by limiting second helping.

Keep a daily food and exercise diary or journal.

Encourage exercise by reducing TV and computer time.

Make exercise a family activity.

Walk after dinner each night.