Sometimes, it takes more than just diet and exercise to help an individual lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle.

 

Lancaster General’s Healthy Weight Management Program provides a comprehensive approach to weight loss with several options that can help people who are struggling with the physical and emotional challenges associated with being overweight.

 

Those options now include weight loss surgery.

 

“This is not just about having surgery. Surgery is just one day in the weight loss process,” says Alan Brader, MD, FACS, Medical Director of the Lancaster General Healthy Weight Management Program and bariatric surgeon at Lancaster General. “This is a program approach that’s closely associated with total wellness.”

 

“Lancaster General is taking a multidisciplinary approach,” says Stacey Youcis, Vice President of Operations at Lancaster General. “Surgery is a tool, not a fix. What is most important is the support a patient and his or her family receives for a lifetime.”

 

Helping people improve their quality of life is what attracted Dr. Brader to bariatric surgery. He has focused exclusively on lapraroscopic weight loss surgery for the past five years.

 

“This is something I have a passion for,” he says. “Our hope is that surgical modification and support from a team of professionals will help our patients sustain weight loss and create behavioral changes that will last a lifetime.”

 

Candidates for weight loss surgery:

Dr. Brader’s screening process looks for underlying medical illnesses associated with obesity and also determines whether a patient has the motivation to do what is necessary for sustained weight loss.

 

When diet and exercise recommendations are followed, the chances for success are good. Dr. Brader considers it a success when a patient loses 50% or more of their excess weight.

 

“During the first few months, the weight loss can be rapid,” Dr. Brader says. “But for sustained success, you need to be able build upon those initial results.”

 

Education is an important component of the Healthy Weight Management Program. Patients first learn about what is expected of them during postsurgery treatment.

 

“As quality of life improves, illnesses go away, depression and anxiety are lessened, and life expectancy increases,” he says. “These are life-changing results, and it’s fulfilling for me to see the progress.”

 

“Dr. Brader seems to inspire his patients,” Stacey adds. “They realize he isn’t just in it for the surgery. He’s in it to make a difference in someone’s life. Combine that with a very focused and motivated team of people to support him and we believe that we have a winning combination.”

 

Since most patients can receive the surgery laparoscopically, recovery time from the procedure is short and patients can resume normal activities within a few days.

 

Photo caption: Dr. Alan Brader (center) is joined on his Healthy Weight Management team by, Wendy Miller, Kristin Amicone, Karen Parris and Greg Byer.

Dr. Brader offers two laparoscopic weight loss surgery options: Roux en Y Gastric Bypass or an Adjustable Gastric Band System.

 

A Roux en Y gastric bypass limits a person’s food intake by making the stomach smaller and by allowing food to bypass part of the small intestine. The smaller stomach pouch creates the sense of feeling full sooner and reduces the caloric and nutrient intake.

 

The adjustable gastric band system reduces stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. A band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach to limit intake and create a smaller stomach.

 

Lancaster General Hospital has patient rooms dedicated to bariatric surgery, with staff trained for the needs of bariatric surgery patients. Dr. Brader is joined on the Healthy Weight Management Team with:

 

In some ways, Lancaster General’s approach to weight loss management is breaking new ground, Stacey says.

 

“Some offer comprehensive services, but many just perform surgery,” Stacey says. “We have not found one that is taking this exact type of approach to help people make lifestyle improvements.”

 

“This is not about appearance; it’s about feeling good about yourself, about embracing good habits and about living a longer, healthier life,” she adds. “Even if you ‘fall off the wagon,’ we want people to know it is not a failure and that they can always come to us for help getting back on the path to better health.”

 

Later this year the Healthy Weight Management office will move from the Health Campus into a neighboring facility that will be dedicated exclusively to weight management patients and programs, with space dedicated to exercise, classes, cooking demonstrations and special programs.

 

Lancaster General sponsors a support group for all patients who have had or are thinking about having bariatric surgery, and Dr. Brader hosts free educational seminars where he and the team discuss weight loss surgery options.

 

For more information about the next seminar or to find more answers to your questions, call the Healthy Weight Management Program at (888) 544-2935.