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Weight-Loss SurgeryAn Interview with Surgeon Dr. Vadim Gritsus
More than two million Americans are considered morbidly obese and suffer from a chronic condition that is difficult to treat through dietary changes and exercise alone.
“The public’s perception of those with clinical severe obesity is often harsh and groundless,” Vadim Gritsus, MD, said. “People with severe obesity often are associated with being weak-willed, self-indulgent, and unmotivated, when in reality, obesity in this group is usually related as much to genetics, hormones and biochemical interactions as it is to cultural habits and behavior.”
Although many people having weight-loss surgery do it to look trim, Dr. Gritsus said they should consider doing it to increase longevity and improve their quality of life. "If a person is morbidly obese, losing weight isn't just a cosmetic change; it's an essential lifesaving change that isn't likely to happen without bariatric surgery."
Obesity is a leading cause of death. One study found that the mortality rates for men and women who were 50 percent above their ideal weight were twice as high as their counterparts.
Three major types of bariatric surgery are performed to promote weight loss: restrictive, malabsorptive, and a combination of the two procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB). People having the combined restrictive/malabsorptive procedures performed today usually sustain substantial, long-term weight-loss through the restriction of food intake and the nutrients the body absorbs.
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the gold standard weight-loss procedure that is performed at Chilton Memorial. Dr. Gritsus said it produces greater weight loss and is more effective in reversing the health problems associated with severe obesity than restrictive operations.
The operation closes off parts of the stomach to make it smaller and to restrict food intake where food enters from the esophagus. Next, a portion of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the rest of the stomach and the first two segments of the small intestine (those portions of the digestive tract that absorb excessive calories and nutrients).
Although the RGB procedure restricts food intake and reduces the feeling of hunger, it does not interfere with the normal digestive process. Most people lose the ability to eat large amounts of food at one time, but Dr. Gritsus said patients continue to enjoy all types of food after surgery — they just eat smaller portions.
Dr. Vadim Gritsus is a general surgeon with Advanced Laparoscopic training and expertise in bariatrics. Dr. Gritsus trained at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Morristown Memorial Hospital.
