{"id":1827,"date":"2020-01-30T18:43:06","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T18:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/?p=1827"},"modified":"2020-01-30T18:43:06","modified_gmt":"2020-01-30T18:43:06","slug":"the-cooper-center-for-metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery-lifelong-multidisciplinary-care-for-people-with-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/2020\/01\/30\/the-cooper-center-for-metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery-lifelong-multidisciplinary-care-for-people-with-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cooper Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Lifelong Multidisciplinary Care for People with Obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cObesity is a complex chronic disease, and it\u2019s unlikely to be fixed in one session,\u201d says Rohit A. Patel, MD, FACS, Director of Cooper\u2019s Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. \u201cThat\u2019s why a team approach like ours is more likely to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

This team includes three fellowship-trained and experienced bariatric surgeons\u2014Dr. Patel, Brendan G. O\u2019Connell, MD, FACS, and Harish Kakkilaya, MD, FACS, FASMBS\u2014as well as advanced practice nurses, dietitians, a behavioral psychologist, patient coordinators, and administrative support staff.<\/p>\n

Notably, the Cooper Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery is the only facility of its kind in South Jersey that is part of a tertiary care center. Obesity puts patients at risk for multiple comorbid conditions\u2014including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney issues, and certain cancers\u2014and at Cooper, patients have streamlined access to advanced expertise in more than 75 specialties, should it be needed.<\/p>\n

Cooper\u2019s Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery is also distinguished by its commitment to lifelong care for patients who choose to undergo a weight loss procedure.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatient safety and after care are essential components of our program,\u201d Dr. Patel says. He continues, \u201cWe don\u2019t just take care of patients around the time of surgery, but we\u2019re committed to their wellbeing for the rest of their lives. We realize that bariatric surgery is just a first step in a patient\u2019s weight loss journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cooper team is also committed to helping providers to guide their patients to take that first step, when appropriate.<\/p>\n

\u201cProviders don\u2019t have to feel alone in counseling their patients with obesity,\u201d he says. (See below for some tips on broaching the topic of weight with patients.)<\/p>\n

Drs. Patel, O\u2019Connell, and Kakkilaya offer Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy, the two most common bariatric surgery procedures performed today.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth can be done minimally invasively most of the time,\u201d Dr. Patel notes.<\/p>\n

As a high-volume bariatric surgery center, Cooper performs between 400 and 500 procedures a year\u2014both routine and complex. This level of experience leads to outcomes that consistently exceed national benchmarks, and Cooper\u2019s program is recognized as a center of excellence.<\/p>\n

The Center is accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), signifying that it has met rigorous national standards for safe, high-quality surgical care that were jointly established by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Notably, the Center has received \u201cComprehensive Accreditation with Adolescent Qualifications,\u201d which means that it is designated to care for patients of all ages, at all levels of obesity, and with all comorbid conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a patient with a BMI of 35 with related comorbidities or with a BMI of 40 or greater, that patient is a candidate for bariatric surgery,\u201d Dr. Patel says. \u201cWe\u2019d welcome the opportunity to partner with you to improve that patient\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tips for Discussing Weight with Patients<\/h2>\n

Dr. Patel offers this guidance for broaching the topic of weight:<\/p>\n