Why Only 1% of Eligible Patients Choose Bariatric Surgery | Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics of NJ
Blog

Why Only 1% of Eligible Patients Choose Bariatric Surgery

Home » Bariatric Surgery » Why Only 1% of Eligible Patients Choose Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is the #1 solution for long-term, successful weight loss with proven results – so why is it also the #1 most underutilized method for weight loss? Studies show that bariatric patients don’t just lose weight, they live healthier, longer lives. From Type 2 Diabetes to high blood pressure, bariatric procedures help patients manage their weight-related comorbidities and can even resolve and treat them completely! Sleep apnea, COPD, joint pain, depression… The list of conditions and symptoms that bariatric surgery can address goes on and on.

With all this in mind, it begs the question: why do only 1% of eligible patients choose bariatric surgery?

Misinformation

Most of the negative perception of bariatric surgery stems from a place of misunderstanding, and unfortunately, many people just don’t know the truth. Without doing research, they would have no way of knowing if the information they are getting is factual or not. We want to share our knowledge about bariatric surgery with everyone we can to help reduce the undue stigma that comes from false information.

That’s why we offer free seminars and blogs–like this one– that goes into detail about the entire bariatric process-to keep people informed. Because the truth is bariatric surgery is THE most effective way to lose weight and to keep it off long-term!

People don’t want or are afraid to have surgery.

99% of eligible patients forego bariatric procedures because they don’t want to undergo a procedure. So what stops people from acting? Well, many people falsely believe that surgery is more dangerous than obesity itself.

Bariatric surgery has been proven to be incredibly safe with low complication rates of less than 1% – which is comparable to routine stomach surgeries – and these rates get lower every day. Leaders in the field of bariatrics, like our own Dr. Ragui Sadek, continuously research and develop techniques to improve procedures and share their findings with their peers. As a result, patients heal quicker while achieving greater levels of success.

Individuals who do not have surgery often continue to struggle with obesity and their associated weight-related conditions, many of which are life-threatening. Obesity is a known risk factor for heart disease and is even due to overtake smoking as the #1 cause of cancer in the world. In the end, there’s no comparison; bariatric surgery is safer than living with obesity.

The belief that diet and exercise will work if you just work harder.

The most common misconception surrounding weight loss is that it can be achieved through hard work alone – you need to exercise more, eat better, exercise harder, eat less. Although working hard and adopting healthy habits are crucial to losing weight, they aren’t always enough on their own–and the results pale in comparison to bariatric surgery. Plus, surgery provides additional health benefits that diet and exercise never could.

A study performed at the Harvard Medical School observed that weight-loss surgery affects gut hormones, resetting patients’ metabolisms to help their bodies maintain their weight loss.

Additionally, people who suffer from obesity develop a resistance to leptin – the hormone that makes our bodies feel full. They, in turn, produce less of this hormone, and more of its counterpart – ghrelin –  causing them to feel hungry and continue to eat. Bariatric surgery alters the stomach and resets the hormones, helping patients feel full on smaller portions.

When you combine these benefits, bariatric surgery does more than make a healthier lifestyle attainable– it sets patients up for success!

People don’t always think they need help.

Our cultural attitudes toward obesity can be very isolating — some people don’t want to think that they might need help, or that if they do, weight loss is something that they need to tackle all on their own. In some cases, changes to diet and exercise can help people lose the weight they want to lose, but it happens far less frequently than most of us suspect. Similarly, many people see obesity as some sort of personal problem or failing, rather than the medical condition that it is.

Bariatric surgery is not a one-and-done, magical solution for weight loss; it’s a process. The surgery itself is a fantastic tool that helps patients achieve as much healthy, safe weight loss as possible by resetting their hormones and changing the shape and size of the stomach. Success, however, hinges on a patient’s commitment to hard work with their support network – and for many bariatric patients, that includes their practice.

Bariatric practices contain an entire team devoted solely to patient success, from dieticians to nutritionists to surgeons, who guide their patients through their entire journey. At Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics, we meet with our patients monthly to make sure they stay on track for weight-loss success. If a patient has any questions, we are glad to be available at any time and we provide the extra help they need. Seeing our patients reach their goals is the best part of the job!

People have the misconception that weight-loss surgery leads to malnutrition.

There is a common misconception that bariatric patients suffer from malnutrition because they can only consume a fraction of what they ate before, and therefore get only a fraction of their required nutrients. While this is a possibility, there are ways to minimize the risk and ensure a healthy life at the same time!

Although bariatric patients are limited to the amount of food they can eat, they can still consume all of their daily vitamins. By planning meals around nutrient-rich foods and foregoing less-filling junk food, it doesn’t matter that patients eat less. Additionally, post-op patients can add supplements and vitamins to their meal plans to ensure they maximize their nutritional intake, keeping malnutrition at bay!

At Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics, we’re raising the bar.

Only 1% of eligible patients choose bariatric surgery, but we’re working to change that. At Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics, we have made it our mission to teach everyone we can the truth about these revolutionary surgeries. Whether it’s here on our blogs, on our social media, at one of our free in-person seminars, or online with our free webinar, we want everyone to know that these procedures safe and effective. If you’re one of the 99% of potential patients, don’t wait! Come to the safest practice in New Jersey today: https://www.bariatricsurgerynewjersey.com/contact/

Dr Sadek

Dr. Ragui Sadek is a premier surgeon who established a state-of-the-art and one of the safest bariatric surgery programs in the state. Dr. Sadek has fellowship training in both laparoscopic/bariatric surgery and surgical trauma/critical care, allowing him to safely perform complex surgeries on patients who have been turned down by other practices. As a Clinical Assistant Professor of surgery at RWJ Medical School & the Director of bariatric surgery program at RWJ University Hospital, Dr. Sadek offers a cutting-edge range of laparoscopic, robotic, & bariatric surgical procedures with a complication rate substantially below the national average.

Dr. Sadek is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Having performed more than three thousand advanced surgical procedures, Dr. Sadek has established a strong patient satisfaction rate and a solid reputation among the surgical community and is renowned as a top physician in his field by International Association of Healthcare Professionals. As a board-certified surgeon, he holds affiliations with the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Society of American Gastro Endoscopic Surgeons. More about Dr. Sadek

Our Locations Find a Clinic Near You

  • Somerset 81 Veronica Avenue, Suite 205
    Somerset, NJ 08873

    (732) 853-1109
  • Marlboro 479 County Road, 520 Suite 203A
    Marlboro NJ 07746

    (732) 853-1109
  • East Brunswick 579 Cranbury Road Suite D East Brunswick, NJ 08816
    (732) 853-1109
  • Edison 2 Lincoln Highway , Suite 100B Edison NJ 08820
    (732) 853-1109
  • Hamilton 1670 Whitehorse Hamilton Square Rd, Suite 3 Trenton, NJ 08619
    (732) 853-1109
  • Toms River 530 Lakehurst Road, Suite 207 Toms River, NJ 08755
    (732) 853-1109
  • Jersey City 377 Jersey Avenue, Suite 130 Jersey City, NJ 07302
    (732) 853-1109
  • Belleville 1 Clara Maass Drive, Continuing Care Building, 2nd Floor, Belleville, NJ 07109
    (732) 853-1109