Cape Fear Valley Bariatric Center

The Cape Fear Valley Bariatric Center is an award-winning, nationally-ranked bariatric program that serves the needs of patients in Cumberland and surrounding Southeastern North Carolina counties.

Cape Fear Valley and James Classen, M.D., and Leo Davidson, M.D., of Village Surgical Associates together have earned designation as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence from the American College of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). This designation recognizes programs with top quality care and favorable outcomes.

Healthcare providers generally agree that the more overweight you are, the more likely you will develop health problems including hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But bariatric surgery can help. The latest advancements in bariatric surgery can offer a long-term solution, when accompanied by proper diet and exercise. But you have to decided if bariatric surgery is right for you.

To learn more about bariatric surgery or to request a consultation with a qualified bariatric surgeon, call 609-4888 today.

Considering Bariatric Surgery?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) almost one third of all Americans are obese. The percentage of young people have more than tripled since 1980.

And a growing number of Americans are becoming morbidly obese, which is often defined as being 100 or more pounds above ideal weight or having a Body Mass Index of 40 or higher.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), morbid obesity is a chronic disease. This means morbid obesity symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. At that point, your weight poses real health riks. Each year, more than 300,00 deaths are directly attributed to obesity.

If you are more than 100 pounds overweight, bariatric surgery may be an appropriate weight loss option if traditional options, such as diet and exercise, have failed.

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery estimates that 175,000 to 200,000 weight-loss procedures will be performed this year. Insurance often pays for weight loss surgery.

Types of Surgery

Weight loss surgeries fall into three categories:

• Restrictive procedures make the stomach smaller to limit the amount of food intake
• Malabsorptive techniques reduce the amount of intestine that comes in contact with food so that the body absorbs fewer calories
• A combination of both restriction and malabsorption methods

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Often simply called “Gastric Bypass," this surgery is a combination method and is the most common bariatric procedure in the U.S. Gastric Bypass surgery creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach and adds a bypass around a segment of the small intestine. This redirects food intake, bypassing most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, called the duodenum.

Instead, food enters directly into the second part of the small intestine, called the jejunum, limiting the patient's ability to absorb calories.

Distal Gastric Bypass (Duodenal Switch, Biliopancreatic Division)

A portion of the stomach is removed in this procedure. The remaining small pouch is then connected to the last portion of the small intestine. The risk for nutritional deficiencies is highest with this procedure.

Gastric Banding

This method, often called “Lap Banding,” is a  restrictive method and has become increasingly popular in recent years. The procedure places a band around the upper stomach to decrease food intake. The procedure has less risk and is reversible, but the patient does not lose weight as fast.

Vertical banded gastroplasty

This common procedure creates the pouch with both a band and staples. It is a purely restrictive procedure with no malabsorptive effect and is reversible. The goal of this procedure is to severely restrict the patient's capacity to eat certain foods. Strict diet compliance is required. As with all bariatric surgery options, you must make a serious commitment to making the necessary chainges in your diet. This includes getting enough protein and taking vitamin and mineral supplements, and avoiding certain foods as prescribed by your surgeon.