Obesity has become the #1 public health problem in our country today -- more than half of Americans are overweight and roughly 12 million Americans have severe obesity (defined as being 100 lbs. or more overweight). Obesity is major cause of premature death and many other medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, sleep apnea and degenerative joint disease.
At Cleveland Clinic, our bariatric weight loss surgery program is focused on addressing obesity with modern treatment strategies, research and education, because losing weight often is not as simple as it sounds. Our bariatric surgeons perform the safest and most effective weight loss surgery procedures. To read our Cleveland Clinic Bariatric & Metabolic Institute patient overview, click here.
Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (BMI) has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Surgical Review Corporation. The designation, awarded to programs with a proven record of favorable outcomes for weight-loss surgery, also recognizes Cleveland Clinic bariatric surgeons Philip Schauer, M.D., Bipan Chand, M.D., Stacy Brethauer, M.D., Tomasz Rogula, M.D., and Matthew Kroh, M.D. Click to watch a short video from each: Philip Schauer, M.D., and Bipan Chand, M.D. The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic has also been accredited as a Level 1 facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Please contact us to discuss your weight loss surgery and medical weight management options. Or,click here to refer a patient for a second opinion concerning bariatric surgery for obesity.
Quality Outcomes
The Cleveland Clinic is pleased to introduce our Outcomes Books, a summary review of medical and surgical trends, approaches and results.
The Clinic is publishing its outcome data by department as a quality measure. Patients and referring physicians can now have the information they need to make informed decisions when choosing or recommending a hospital or specialist for medical or surgical care.
Outcomes books were created from more than 20 Cleveland Clinic surgical and medical areas. To view the data online, click here.
November Support Group Meeting
Date: November 13, 2008
Location: Main Campus
TOPIC: The Impact of Exercise on Weight Loss
Dr. Karen Cooper
TIME: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Noteworthy News
October 29, 2008: Recent report from the American Journal of Cardiology suggests that Bariatric Surgery Cuts Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Patients.
October 21, 2008: Weight-Loss Surgery, No Cutting Required
September 8, 2008: Does Weight Loss Surgery Lower the Risk of Getting Cancer?
September 8, 2008: According to a new study, weight-loos surgery is offset within two to four years by medical cost savings. Read the full WSJ article, Obesity Surgery Is Called Cost-Effective.
September 2008:A Study on the Economic Impact of Bariatric Surgery: Evaluating the private third-party payer return on investment for bariatric surgery in the United States.
September 2, 2008:How Weight Loss Surgery Helps Diabetes: Study Explains Why Surgery Improves Blood Sugar Levels Even Before Patients Lose Weight.
July 18, 2008: The August issue of Oprah Magazine,features anarticleentitled: Beyond Stomach Stapling: What's New and Better
July 15, 2008: N.H. Governor lets bill become law on weight loss surgery. To come into effect in September 2008.
July 2008:Cleveland Clinic Magazine reports on Type 2 Diabetes and weight-loss surgery for a better life; dangerous trend of kids' excess girth and other wellness issues.
June 18, 2008: Cancer Risk Reduced by 80 Percent After Bariatric Surgery, McGill Study Finds
June 18, 2008: Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Studied
June 19, 2008: Gastric Bypass Surgery Cuts Cancer Risk, Researchers Say
June 5, 2008: WKYC Channel 3Health latest report: New study test options for Type II diabetes patients.
May 7, 2008: The spring issue of the Cleveland Clinic Magazine, Health Advantage, leads with the patient experience story of "Is Surgery the CURE for Diabetes?".
May 4, 2008: The Washington Post reports on a novel procedure that proponents say appears to offer the most important advance since the discovery of insulin in treating one of the most common chronic diseases.
April 29, 2008: Diabetes - Bariatric Surgery as a Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes. Read the most recent article published by our surgeons in the Obesity Action Coalition Magazine.
April 25, 2008: By altering the gut's production of hormones, gastric bypass surgery may be able to eliminate type 2 Diabetes. The April issue of Science Magazine features an article titled, Bypassing Medicine to Treat Diabetes .
April 24, 2008: New findings show that nutrients in the gut also activate a neural circuit that increases insulin sensitivity. Read the full article in the April issue of Nature Magazine.
April 21, 2008: The Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute surgeons response to CBS News' 60 Minutes April 20th Story on Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes. The information supports the BMI STAMPEDE trial which is a randomized study that is comparing the effectiveness of advanced medical therapy alone versus bariatric surgery and therapy combined.
March 31, 2008: Medical-device makers, venture capitalists and surgeons are racing to turn a once-controversial weight-loss procedure into the next big thing in elective surgery. Read the following Wall Street Journal article for more.
February 29, 2008: Bariatric surgery is not only successful for weight loss, but also for preventing, improving or resolving type 2 diabetes. Read the following US News and World Report article for more.
Two recent landmark studies in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate significant evidence that bariatric surgery reduces long-term mortality associated with obesity. Read the studies to learn more:
Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Mortality in Swedish Obese Subjects
Long-Term Mortality after Gastric Bypass Surgery
Bariatric surgery is not only successful for weight loss, but also for preventing, improving or resolving type 2 diabetes. Recent studies demonstrate that bariatric operations, particularly gastric bypass surgeries, can achieve a resolution rate as high as 83%. The Cleveland Clinic is at the forefront of type 2 diabetes surgeries. Learn about a clinical research study focusing on subjects with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Principal Investigators of the study are Drs. Philip Schauer, Sangeeta Kashyap, and Deepak Bhatt of the Cleveland Clinic.
What to Watch
One of the nation's heaviest men has weight loss surgery at Cleveland Clinic
On May 28th, Dr. Philip Schauer was featured on WKYC with his patient, Robert Woodbury, discussing Robert's most recent weight loss surgery.
To read more and see the interview,click here.
