Morbid obesity is a serious disease that affects more than 6 million Americans. The rate of obesity in America has increased more than 60 percent in the past decade.
The Bariatric Surgery Program at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Michigan, has offered weight loss surgery to eligible patients since 2003, primarily the gastric bypass procedure known as Roux-en-Y.
Electing to have any surgical procedure is an important decision. Weight loss surgery is not for everyone, and patients considering surgical options are carefully screened. For eligible patients, surgery can dramatically improve health and greatly enhance quality of life.
Munson’s Bariatric Surgery program has been recognized as a “Center of Excellence” by Blue Cross Network.
The First Step: Attend A Seminar
First grade teacher Deb Markiewicz of Houghton Lake quit smoking in 1989, and gained 10 pounds every year that followed. In September 2006, after attending three seminars to learn about weight loss surgical options, she was among the first morbidly obese patients to opt for LAP-BAND® surgery at Munson Medical Center. She was motivated by a strong desire to stop using a breathing machine needed to treat sleep apnea, a common co-morbidity of obesity.
“My surgery was a breeze,” she said. “I never took pain medication from the time I left the hospital and I was back at work within a week.”
Every patient considering weight loss surgery must attend a two-hour educational seminar. The seminar is hosted monthly by Grand Traverse Surgery, PC at Munson Medical Center and provides information about each option. Patients also learn about the lifetime follow-up care involved.
There is a $25 fee for the seminar, and pre-registration is required.
To register or to receive more information, call Grand Traverse Surgery at (231) 935-8900.
For a listing of seminar dates
or to register online:
If you are a Munson Healthcare patient and have a compliment,
concern, or complaint, please contact one of our Patient
Liaisons.
Morbid obesity is a serious disease that affects more than 6 million Americans. The rate of obesity in America has increased more than 60 percent in the past decade. 