Princeton, NJ Health Care Guide Articles

For individuals who are considered morbidly obese—a chronic condition defined as being 100 or more pounds overweight or having a body mass index of 40kg or higher—shedding unwanted weight using traditional methods can be a difficult battle. Another option is bariatric surgery, which has been shown to have success.

Bariatric procedures such as gastric bypass surgery, LAP-BAND® (gastric banding), and sleeve gastrectomy, where a sleeve-shaped stomach is formed from a small section of the stomach, can make a dramatic difference. In fact, while individual results vary, patients can lose as much as 47 percent to 70 percent of their excess weight, depending on the type of surgery, according to clinical studies.

“When a patient has tried traditional methods of weight loss and has not been successful, bariatric surgery can have a tremendous impact,” says Wai Yip Chau, MD, a board certified surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery at The Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence at University Medical Center at Princeton (UMCP). “These procedures provide patients with a valuable tool to help them reduce their weight at a steady rate. Together with lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, their health and quality of life greatly improve.”

Determining if bariatric surgery is a viable option, and which procedure would best suit a patient, depends on several factors, including overall health, age and lifestyle; the amount and speed of weight loss; and how long the patient may need to rely on the procedure.

UMCP is one of the few hospitals in New Jersey designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. UMCP has been a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence since 2005.

UMCP’s Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence now participates with Medicare and most commercial insurance plans, including Aetna, Amerihealth, Cigna, Horizon-BCBSNJ, Oxford and United Healthcare, with additional plans being added.

For more information, call 1.800.FIND.A.DR (1.800.346.3237).