Weight Loss Drugs vs. Bariatric Surgery – Which is Right For You?
If you’re trying to lose weight and finding it difficult, you may have considered taking medications or undergoing bariatric surgery. Both of these... read more
Can bariatric surgery help protect women’s health?
CBS News reports that according to government health statistics, more than 4 in 10 U.S. women are obese.
Obese women run a higher risk for female-specific cancers, cardiovascular issues, and worsened menopause symptoms.
Dr. Kristy Ward, Senior Gynecologic Oncology Fellow of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at UCSD School of Medicine says “a woman with a BMI of 40 would have approximately eight times greater risk of endometrial cancer than someone with a BMI of 25.”
“In a normal menstruating woman, two hormones control the inner lining of the uterus. Estrogen builds up the [lining of the uterus] and progesterone stabilizes it. A woman with excess adipose tissue has an increased level of estrogen because the fat tissue converts steroid hormones into a form of estrogen,” Dr. Kristy Ward explains.
She concludes by saying, “The endometrium continues to grow and can undergo changes into abnormal tissue, leading to cancer.”
Fear not! Studies say bariatric surgery can help. The risk of female-specific cancers can be reduced by 71% if a lower weight can be maintained or achieved, according to Dr. Kristy Ward’s study.
At Advanced Surgical, we know that bariatric surgery is not only used to enhance appearance. It’s also used to improve our patients’ quality of life. Our team offers bariatric procedures including sleeve gastrectomy, LAP-BAND, gastric bypass, and the Obalon Balloon System.
According to the Gynecologic Oncology—an international journal dedicated to female-specific medical conditions— the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS), found that women who had bariatric surgery lowered their risk of cancer by 29%.
Half of those cancers were breast, ovarian, endometrial—which is the term used for inner layer of the uterus—and other gynecological, female-specific cancers.
Peter S. Argenta, MD, of the University of Minnesota’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology, wrote in his editorial for the study, “bariatric surgery could be the next wave of cancer prevention.”
Understanding the link between obesity and female-specific cancers, Advanced Surgical is ready to help with your bariatric journey.
Bariatric surgery helps lose the weight when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to reach your weight-loss goals. Losing weight helps to normalize your hormone levels, which reduces your risks of estrogen build-up and subsequent cancer.
Weight-loss surgery helps with other female-specific medical conditions as well.
Menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, muscle and joint problems, and bladder issues, increase in obese women. The research suggests that excess fat insulates the body, which makes hot flashes even hotter.
However, as women lose weight, the severity of the symptoms decrease, according to a study conducted by the State University of Campinas in Sao Paulo.
Weight loss seems to be the key to many of these female-specific medical conditions, but once you’ve reached obesity, weight loss can be especially difficult.
Bariatric surgery could be your best next step in leading a healthy life.
Advanced Surgical offers bariatric procedures including sleeve gastrectomy, LAP-BAND, gastric bypass, and the Obalon Balloon System. We are ready to help find the best treatment options for you!
To learn more about what we offer here at Advanced Surgical, visit https://www.bariatricsurgerynewjersey.com/procedures/
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
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