Obesity rates in the United States, including Virginia and North Carolina, have been a growing concern. The 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment by the Obici Healthcare Foundation revealed that over 80% of adults in their service area were overweight (BMI over 25), and more than 45% were obese (BMI over 30). Recognizing this critical need, Sentara Healthcare has expanded its services to provide comprehensive weight loss solutions to residents of Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight County and surrounding areas. Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Solutions is now accepting new patients at Sentara Obici Hospital.
Addressing a Critical Need in Western Tidewater
Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Solutions program at Obici comes from a 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment by the Obici Healthcare Foundation, which found more than 80% of adults in the foundation's service area of Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Gates County, N.C., along with areas in Greensville County, Southampton County, eastern Surry County and Sussex County, are overweight, and 45% who are obese.
A One-Stop Resource for Weight Loss and Metabolic Wellness
Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Solutions is a one-stop resource for patients seeking weight loss and total metabolic wellness. The program is designed as a one-stop resource for people who are looking to lose weight and have metabolic wellness. Its team includes a medical bariatrician, bariatric psychologist and a dietitian who works with surgical and non-surgical patients. Sentara recognizes that they've got a group of patients that they haven't been serving," Adams said. "And what I mean by that is … there's a large number of people that live out here in Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight, et cetera, that, to them, to drive into Norfolk to go get their weight-loss surgery and weight-loss management is just a bridge too far."
Comprehensive Program and Ongoing Support
Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Solutions is the latest in a growing number of specialty medical services on the Sentara Obici Hospital campus. Our comprehensive program provides ongoing support and education throughout the process. The resources come through one-on-one consultation, print and online educational materials that track patients and help and encourage them.
Dr. Gregory Adams: Leading the Surgical Portion
A board certified general surgeon, Dr. Gregory Adams, has joined Sentara Medical Group to provide bariatric surgery at Sentara Obici Hospital. Dr. Gregory Adams will be heading up the surgical portion of the program to provide bariatric surgery at Obici. Adams is a board-certified general surgeon who comes to Sentara from Bon Secours and has nearly 20 years of experience in bariatric surgery, including 13 in the Hampton Roads region, with many of his patients being residents of Western Tidewater. Earlier this month, he performed his first weight-loss surgery at Obici, which is just one of close to 4,000 he has done in his career.
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*Dr. Greg Adams earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center and a surgical residency at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He served as a medical officer aboard the USS South Carolina and at Oceana Naval Air Station.
A Range of Weight Loss Options
But it won't be all about surgical options. In tandem, the hospital will also be providing medical weight loss options along with psychological and nutritional counseling, and retail products. The medical weight loss services will be ready by the last week of August, and are targeted toward people with a body mass index of about 30 or greater. Adams said that would happen through a combination of diet, therapy and medications, and possibly psychotherapy.
Criteria for Weight-Loss Surgery
Adams noted that the National Institutes of Health came up with the criteria to recommend which patients should be considered for weight-loss surgery. Those include any patient with a body mass index, or BMI, over 40 regardless of their overall health condition, or anyone with a body mass index between 35 and 40 with obesity-related health issues. Body mass index is a ratio of weight to your height, and Adams said generally, if someone has a BMI of 40, that they are about 100 pounds over their ideal body weight.
The Importance of a Multifaceted Approach
"What I like about the Sentara program is that it's not just surgery, which is what I do, but there's also that metabolic component, in other words, working with the internal medicine doctor to try to work on the people from a medical weight loss standpoint. People who don't qualify for surgery, they've really got a great program put together for that." He also said Sentara's program has a strong educational foundation in providing people with multiple weight loss options that give them the best chance to lose weight and keep it off. "Every good bariatric program does that, there's no doubt," Adams said. "My program that I came from did a really good job at that. But I've been exceptionally impressed with Sentara's program, with the depth of education that they're giving patients. The patients are exceptionally well prepared."
The Patient Journey: From Consultation to Operation
When they come in, they'll watch a seminar - either a video or in-person presentation on why weight loss surgery is done and what other options they have. Then, if interested, they can make an appointment for further evaluation. The overall time frame from consultation to operation, should someone undergo either procedure, takes between three and six months, due mostly to insurance requirements. That time is used to educate people on how to take care of themselves and be prepared leading into the surgery.
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Types of Bariatric Surgery Offered
As for the bariatric surgery itself, Adams said there's two types most commonly done - the sleeve gastrectomy, which is the more popular option, and a gastric bypass surgery. The sleeve gastrectomy takes about 60 minutes, and it takes about 90 minutes for the gastric bypass surgery, with people spending the night in the hospital. People will be up and walking within two hours after surgery and drinking by the evening. They will start off with a liquid diet and then advance up to regular food over the course of a month following the surgery. With both types of surgery, Adams said people can expect to lose about 80% of their excess weight - meaning those who are 100 pounds overweight should be able to lose about 80 pounds.
Addressing Patient Concerns and Expectations
The most common question about the procedure is whether the person will die, and while Adams tells patients that any surgery comes with risks, weight loss surgery has become one of the safest operations done. People also worry about losing weight too fast and having sagging skin, but he said what determines sagging skin is how much weight someone has to lose and where they carry their fat. If it's where their skin envelope stretches, then that person is more likely to have some sagging skin after surgery. Some will ask whether their joint pain will go away with the surgery, and while it doesn't, the weight taken off the joint will make any pain more tolerable. Blood pressure, generally, will also be easier to control.
Factors Contributing to Obesity
Adams said obesity factors in multiple things, including metabolism, genetics, its endocrine, behavior and environment. Those who gain weight as the result of an injury, he said, tend to keep weight off better because the weight gain was not as much lifestyle-oriented as it was a single event.
Accessible Care for Western Tidewater Residents
With Obici offering the weight-loss program, Adams believes it will be more helpful for residents of the Western Tidewater region. "It's not easy to run in to take care of something like an obesity issue, which unfortunately, requires a lot of visits, and requires a lot of input," Adams said. "It's not like we can give them one magic pill and it's all better. People also have to change their eating habits and lifestyles."
Seeking Help is a Sign of Strength
"If patients are more concerned about their weight, and they feel like they can't fix it on their own," Adams said, "there is no shame in calling us. Patients oftentimes believe that if they come and see somebody about weight loss assistance, that somehow or another they've taken the easy way out. It's not the easy way out. It's just the right way. Our eating habits correlate directly with our overall health.
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Medical Nutrition Therapy and Counseling
Sentara's hospital RDs provide Medical Nutrition Therapy for a wide variety of acute and chronic disease states with an added focus on identifying and preventing malnutrition. Hospital RDs screen all patients admitted to the hospital and prioritize care to those most at nutritional risk. Sentara Obici Hospital offers individual nutrition counseling sessions with a referral from a physician. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, a registered dietitian will work with you to alter your diet to control your blood glucose levels better. For those going through cancer treatment, registered dietitians are ready to help you adjust your nutrition if you experience side effects from your treatment. That can include nausea, painful swallowing, taste changes, mouth sores, diarrhea, constipation and weight loss.
Insurance Coverage and Costs
Weight loss surgery is a significant investment in your health, and many patients have questions about insurance coverage and costs. Costs for weight loss surgery can vary significantly based on your personal needs, the type of surgery you choose and your insurance. Many health insurance plans do cover weight loss (bariatric) surgery, but coverage varies by plan. After attending our information seminar, you should contact your insurance company to confirm that you have benefits for "morbid obesity." To qualify for surgery, many insurers require supervised diets and special clearance letters from your doctors. If your insurance coverage does not cover weight loss surgery, you may consider paying for the surgery yourself. We will provide you with a comprehensive overview of pricing to help you plan for the financial investment in your health.
Preparing for a Lifestyle Change
Weight loss surgery offers hope to people who have struggled to lose a significant amount of weight. Many of our patients lose 100 pounds or more. The weight loss surgery process includes revamping how and what you eat. We will meet with you several times before surgery to discuss these changes and help you develop a pre-op, post-op and long-term plan to pave the way for successful weight loss.