Heartland Weight Loss Clinic, located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, offers a comprehensive range of weight loss solutions, from non-surgical programs to advanced surgical procedures. With a focus on personalized care and patient well-being, the clinic aims to provide effective and sustainable weight loss options for individuals struggling with obesity. Patients have come from nine hours away to choose Heartland Weight Loss Clinic over other weight loss practices and bariatric surgeons.
Comprehensive Weight Loss Services
Heartland Weight Loss Clinic provides a variety of services to cater to different needs and preferences. These include:
Non-Surgical Medical Weight Loss Programs: These programs are designed for patients with a BMI of 25 or higher. They typically involve appetite suppressant medications to reduce calorie intake and vitamin injections to increase metabolism.
Weight Loss Injections: These injections are used to boost metabolism and support weight loss efforts.
Surgical Procedures: The clinic offers several surgical options, including:
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- Sleeve Gastrectomy: A procedure that removes a portion of the stomach to reduce its size.
- Traditional Gastric Bypass: A more complex surgery that involves creating a small stomach pouch and rerouting the small intestine.
- Mini Gastric Bypass: A less invasive alternative to traditional gastric bypass, with a shorter operating time and potentially quicker recovery. Mini gastric bypass is often considered less invasive and may have a shorter operating time, which can result in a quicker recovery for some patients.
- SADI-S (Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal Switch): A more advanced procedure that combines sleeve gastrectomy with intestinal bypass.
The clinic's comprehensive approach allows them to tailor treatment plans to individual needs, considering medical history, current health status, and weight loss goals.
Gastric Bypass: Traditional vs. Mini
When considering gastric bypass surgery, it's essential to understand the differences between the traditional and mini versions. The primary difference lies in the surgical approach and the extent of anatomical changes. In a traditional gastric bypass, a larger portion of the stomach is divided to create a smaller stomach pouch, and the small intestine is rerouted. Both gastric bypass and mini gastric bypass can lead to significant and sustainable weight loss.
While mini gastric bypass has its benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone. Some individuals with specific medical conditions or anatomical factors may be better candidates for traditional gastric bypass. It’s important to consult with Dr. LeGrand before making a decision.
Potential Risks and Considerations for Mini Gastric Bypass
Mini gastric bypass does come with potential risks and side effects, including the risk of infection, bleeding, surgical leakage, nutritional deficiencies, ulcers, and gallstones. Long-term considerations include the need for lifelong dietary changes, the possibility of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and the potential for weight regain over time. It’s crucial to have a thorough discussion about these risks with Dr. LeGrand before undergoing the procedure and to follow all postoperative guidelines meticulously to minimize complications and ensure the best possible outcome.
Dietary Guidelines and Supplements After Surgery
Yes, there are dietary guidelines to follow after surgery. You will receive a guide book with detailed instructions. Initially, you will need to consume a liquid or pureed diet before gradually transitioning to solid foods. Yes, it’s common for patients to require supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, after the procedure to ensure proper nutrition.
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Health Coaching Services
Heartland Weight Loss Clinic offers health coaching services designed to provide personalized support and guidance. These services start with an in-person or virtual consultation with Dr. LeGrand, Heartland Weight Loss founder and physician, or the clinic’s nurse practitioner. The consultation will help verify the person’s ability to safely participate in a health coaching program.
DNA Analysis for Personalized Plans
Then, the participant may choose to complete a DNA analysis with the health coach. The test will identify the participant’s sensitivity to fats and carbohydrates, which create obstacles in reaching their weight loss goals. Using the test results, the health coach customizes a meal and exercise plan for the participant that will allow them to offset those obstacles. Meal and exercise plans can be created without a DNA analysis, but the results allow for more specific recommendations to be shared.
Participants will receive customized meal plans. They may opt to have DNA analysis to explain their sensitivity to dietary fats and carbohydrates. The results will enable our health coach to refine a more specific meal plan for them. Every plan is focused on finding balance and moderation of food choices that provides the best opportunity for our bodily functions. Our health coach follows the philosophy that food is used to fuel our bodies.
Participants will receive a customized exercise plan even if they do not complete a DNA analysis, but the results allows the workout plan to address any obstacles that fat and carbohydrate sensitivities may impose on the participant’s weight loss goals. The exercise plan fits the participant’s current fitness levels so it is realistic from them to follow. Please note, the health coach does not accompany participants during exercise.
Accessibility and Convenience
Heartland Weight Loss Clinic realizes everyone has different sensitivities to COVID-19 exposure and available time for commuting. That’s why our health coaching services are available for participants willing to meet in person or virtually. All participants must begin with an in-person or virtual visit with Heartland Weight Loss Clinic in Cape Girardeau. The on-staff physician or nurse practitioner will evaluate their ability to safely work with the health coach.
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You can get started with Heartland Weight Loss Clinic’s health coach by calling us at (573) 987-5355 to schedule an in-person or virtual consultation. During the consultation, the physician or nurse practitioner will evaluate your ability to safely work with the health coach. Once you are approved, you will be forwarded to the health coach for scheduling. If you opt to include DNA analysis into your health coaching plan, the health coach will review your DNA analysis with you and develop a customized meal and exercise plan with the results in mind. Of course, participants can decline the DNA analysis and still receive a customized meal and exercise plan, but a plan developed around the results will be more specifically customized for the participant’s needs.
Patient Experience and Testimonials
One patient shared their transformative experience with Dr. LeGrand and the gastric bypass procedure:
"Like so many other people, I struggled with my weight my entire life. I tried lots of different diets and exercise programs but nothing ever seemed to work for me. I started looking into Dr. Legrand’s services shortly after he began practicing in Cape Girardeau. At the time, I was 40 years old, weighed 458 pounds, and my BMI was 63.9. I noticed how successful Dr. LeGrand’s procedures were, so I scheduled an appointment with him. We met on September 9, 2013. During my visit, we discussed my options and my post-surgery target weight of 235 pounds. I decided to have gastric bypass surgery with Dr. LeGrand’s recommendations and guidance. On February 2, 2015, I finally had weight loss surgery. My life was forever changed. I really didn’t have many issues after surgery and the weight fell off fast. In just 12 months, I looked like a totally different person. I was down to 265 pounds and my BMI was 37. I couldn’t believe it. Dr. LeGrand was happy with the progress I made. As of December 8, 2020, my weight was 232 pounds. I get around so much better now, and my self-esteem is through the roof. If it wasn’t for Dr. LeGrand and his staff, I would probably have died from a massive heart or stroke by now. It’s so odd to look in the mirror and see myself today, but I’m extremely happy with my results. I can’t thank Dr. LeGrand enough."
This testimonial highlights the potential for life-changing results through Heartland Weight Loss Clinic's services.
Clinic Environment and Policies
Heartland Weight Loss Clinic strives to create a supportive and patient-focused environment. Dr. LeGrand personally handles after-hours emergencies for his patients. The clinic is large enough to provide patients a variety of in-office services such as dietician visits and transnasal endoscopies, but it’s small enough that patients and team members get to know each other personally. Dieticians work on-site at Heartland Weight Loss Clinic. Patients do not have to contact an outside clinic to complete insurance-required visits.
Financial Considerations
It's important to be aware of the clinic's financial policies:
- A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to hold all new appointment appointments.
- Self-pay patients will be required to keep a credit card on file, and monthly packages will process automatically on the first day of every month. Services purchased as part of a package must be redeemed within the calendar month and cannot be carried over to subsequent months.
- Ultimate Care patients can connect with their nutrition coach via SMS text messaging during regular business hours.
Insurance and FSA/HSA
Heartland Weight Loss is in-network with most commercial insurance plans except Blue Cross plans. Plans often cover appointments with Obesity Medicine specialists, although coverage is subject to individual policy rules and regulations and is not guaranteed. Which providers are considered to be in-network. (Being in-network means that the insurance company and the providers have agreed to a predetermined fee schedule for services. This protects you and your insurance company from being obligated to pay outlandish fees for in-network providers, but it doesn’t guarantee that the insurance company will pay the fees.
FSA and HSA plans have a variety of rules regarding how they function. It is up to you to understand the nuances of your own FSA/HSA plan, including what services they will reimburse you for and what documentation they require for reimbursement. Although we are happy to provide you with a receipt listing services provided, we cannot guarantee reimbursement and we do not submit claims directly to FSA/HSA plans the same way we submit them to traditional insurance companies.