According to a 2020 report from America’s Health Rankings, around 35% of adults in Indiana are considered obese. Even more concerning is that we’ve been consistently above the national average since 1990. With the negative impact being overweight has on overall health, it’s no surprise that one of the biggest challenges our state faces is a high premature death rate.
There are options for those who struggle with obesity and weight loss. If you have a body mass index of 40+ then our team of bariatric specialists may be able to help you. We offer minimally invasive options to help speed up recovery and reduce pain. Contact your insurance provider or talk to us about financing your surgery.
Treating Obesity in Evansville, Indiana
At Evansville Surgical Associates, our team of board-certified surgeons is here to guide you through every step of the surgical process. In particular, Dr. Todd S. Burry, Dr. Erik B. Throop, and Dr. Jay H. Woodland have made bariatric surgery their special field of interest.
They are at the top of their field and are leaders in the Indiana medical community. Dr. Burry is the Medical Director of the Bariatric Center at Deaconess Hospital. Similarly, Dr. Throop is the Medical Director of the Bariatric Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center. You can rest easy knowing they’re in charge of your surgical procedure.
Read Top 7 Questions To Ask About Bariatric Surgery to learn more!
When does bariatric surgery become medically necessary?
Bariatric surgery becomes medically necessary when you run the risk of developing life-threatening health problems due to your weight. The biggest indicator for these health problems is your body mass index (BMI). As your BMI increases, so does your risk of developing health conditions due to your weight.
Your BMI is the key barometer for measuring your risk of whether you’re overweight or not. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a BMI of 25 – 29.9 means that you’re overweight and a BMI of 30+ means that you’re obese.
Being 100 or more pounds overweight indicates that you’re morbidly obese (a BMI of 40+). Click here to calculate your BMI using the NIH’s BMI calculator.
A high BMI increases your risk of weight-related medical conditions such as:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease / stroke
- High cholesterol
Bariatric surgery becomes a medical necessity when other forms of weight management haven’t succeeded. You may have struggled to lose weight through diet and exercise, or attempted a series of different weight loss programs. Where diet and exercise programs fail, surgical procedures such as lap band and gastric bypass surgery can pick up the slack.
What is bariatric surgery?
Also known as obesity surgery, bariatric surgery is medically proven to help treat obesity. There are different types of procedures available, and we will make suggestions based on your medical records and current health condition. Our team will weigh the pros and cons of each procedure to find the one that will help you meet your long-term goals.
At Evansville Surgical Associates, we prioritize minimally invasive techniques to treat a variety of health problems. In the case of bariatric surgery, we focus on gastric bypass and lap banding procedures. Minimally invasive surgery utilizes smaller incisions which allow for faster healing time, less pain, and much shorter hospital stays than “open surgery” methods.
Click here to learn more about minimally invasive surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery is possibly the most well-known form of weight loss surgery in the United States. Also known as roux-en-Y gastric bypass, it involves bypassing about 4 feet of your intestine and rerouting it to an egg-sized pouch made in the stomach. This limits the amount of food that you can eat, helping you to lose weight.
Lap sleeve surgery works differently but has the same results. In this case, your surgeon will create a gastric sleeve by stapling, dividing, and removing a portion of the stomach and connecting it to the intestine. The new “sleeve” reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold as well as the production of ghrelin, which is the chemical that makes you feel hungry.
Check out Is Bariatric Surgery Safe, and Does It Work? to learn more.
Paying for Your Surgery
Over the years, employers and insurance companies have increasingly covered bariatric surgery. They have recognized that helping people maintain a healthy weight creates happier employees as well as healthier policyholders. This is great news for people struggling to avoid risk factors that can lead to other serious health issues.
However, it’s important to remember that no two policies are the same. Talk to your insurance carrier if you’re interested in treatment to establish what your out-of-pocket costs will be. Knowing what’s covered under your insurance plan is a critical step for the procedure.
Being overweight can often be treated with diet and exercise. However, sometimes you may need extra help to get down to a healthy BMI. Our team of bariatric specialists can determine if you qualify for bariatric surgery and find the best minimally invasive solution to meet your goals. Talk to your insurer or contact us about financing your treatment.
Are you ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey? Call us today at (812) 424-8231 or (800) 264-8231 to schedule your appointment!
Evansville Surgical Associates has been providing comprehensive and compassionate surgical care for over 50 years. Call us at (812) 424-8231 or (800) 264-8231. We are available from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm if you would like to schedule an appointment.