If you have been struggling to lose weight for a significant period of time, and you have found little to no success, there might be more to your struggle than you realize. The digestive system is more complicated than most people might think, and disorders associated with it can produce a wide range of symptoms. Your metabolism, absorption of minerals and vitamins as well your appearance can be affected by the health of your digestive system. Although a regular medical exam can reveal a lot, a specialized weight loss screening can reveal much more.
If you live in the Queens, NY area, you should know that there is a medical team near you that specializes in finding and addressing the root causes of obesity. No matter what age you might be, you stand to benefit from taking advantage of our staff’s extensive knowledge of the functioning of the digestive system, which includes the liver. This is the branch of medicine known as gastroenterology. At our clinic in Rego Park, NY, we use our detailed understanding of the digestive system to help our clients lose weight, recover from illness and improve their overall health.
Superior and Accredited Weight Management
Our list of patients include adolescents and adults who have digestive disorders, liver disease, hemorrhoidal conditions and abdominal pain. Some of the treatments and procedures for these conditions and illnesses can also be applied for weight loss and/or weight management purposes. It’s possible for some people to actually lose significant amounts of weight without wanting to and not understand why. It’s all tied to the functioning of the digestive system.
We can’t overemphasize the importance of having an accredited team of medical professionals on your side to help with your weight loss or weight management efforts. There are many med spas and weight loss clinics to choose from, but you might be surprised to find out how few of them are actually fully accredited. We have been fully accredited by the AAAASF. This somewhat long acronym stands for American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. This is the government organization that ensures that a medical practice such as ours follows strict guidelines and regulations. Under AAAASF guidelines:
- Surgeons must be board certified and have full legal access to medical appliances and equipment.
- Any outpatient or office-based operation must follow strict hospital operation and management standards.
- A sanitary and safe environment for surgery that meets rigorous cleanliness standards is required.
- Physicians involved with providing deeper levels of anesthesia must be specially trained and licensed to do so.
The AAAASF also works closely with health professionals like us to guarantee that these standards are met. This is a worldwide organization that is responsible for ensuring the safety of millions of patients all over the world.
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How Weight Loss Screenings are Conducted
If you have been unable to lose weight or maintain your weight with a strict, healthy diet and exercise, you might benefit from having one of our weight reduction and/or management procedures. The problem most people have with losing weight is that they don’t understand how caloric intake affects weight. Excess calories are stored as energy reserves if they are not burned off. The form in which these calories are stored is the problem; as fat.
Fatty deposits in areas of the body such as the sides of the abdomen, thighs and buttocks are what make people look and feel overweight. However, your weight problem might not be as serious as you think. Health professionals will always diagnose obesity based on a patient’s body mass index (BMI). This is a number that is used to determine if a person is within their healthy weight range for their age, size and height. A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight. If the BMI of a patient is higher than 35, he or she is considered clinically obese.
Having your BMI accurately calculated by our physician can reveal a lot about your health. There is a difference between trying to lose weight for appearance’s sake and for the sake of your health. Millions of Americans are at risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney problems because of their obesity. The goal we have is to address the complex problem of obesity by providing a wide range of treatment options.
It can be critical to detect the need for weight control early in life, such as in adolescence. Screening for digestive and abdominal disorders is a big part of this. We can pinpoint any digestive issues that tend to affect a person’s weight, and there are quite a few.
Digestive Problems Likely to Affect Weight
One of the most common digestive disorders is known as acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid reflux disease is caused by an overproduction of stomach acid. This stomach acid rises back up to the esophagus, causing discomfort and pain. When there is plenty of food available for the stomach to digest, symptoms of GERD are not present. As soon as food is processed and the stomach is almost empty, the symptoms return. This is what causes most people with acid reflux to overeat. It’s a way of calming the stomach.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is another common gastrointestinal disorder that can cause bloating and inflammation, which can also lead to weight gain. It’s the imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the intestines that is primarily responsible for the lack of proper digestion when you have IBS. People with IBS will tend to eat more carbohydrates like breads and potatoes. These are foods that can quickly cause weight gain.
Crohn’s disease is another bowel disorder that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. This causes symptoms like diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal cramping and fever. It can affect how well and how often you eat as well as bowel obstruction. Bowel obstruction occurs because parts of the stomach might scar and become narrow because of the constant inflammation. This can keep food from making its way and lead to weight loss due to lack of proper digestion. The chronic inflammation can also lead to ulcers, causing further digestive problems.
Here in the Queens, NY area, we can treat these ailments, and many more, through the use of medications, procedures and treatments as well as a change in lifestyle. These lifestyle changes will most often include diet modifications and an increased amount of regular physical exercise. We aim to help all of our patients achieve optimum health levels so they can live the lives they deserve. There are a few key treatments that we offer that can help with weight loss, reduce chronic symptoms of digestive disorders or do both of these at the same time.
Various Weight Loss Options
For patients who are struggling with obesity and have tried a strict diet and exercise with no results, a weight loss screening can be very beneficial. From there, one of our weight loss procedures might be recommended. These are procedures that require access to the insides of your stomach but don’t require major surgery. These can be performed in one session during a visit and can be all the help you need to shed those unwanted pounds. While these procedures are intended for those with serious weight issues, there are exceptions. We will find the right procedure and treatment program that suits you as an individual.
AspireAssist
Aspire Bariatrics has created a device that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the safe and non-surgical reduction of weight in people with a BMI over 35 and up to 55. It is called the AspireAssist procedure, and many of our patients have found success with their weight loss goals by using this option. It is used to control the amount of calories that are absorbed by the body. This is accomplished by eliminating up to 30 percent of the food in the stomach before it’s digested and calories are absorbed.
If you choose this procedure for managing your weight, you will have to stay in close touch with our staff every step of the way until you have the results you need. We start by having you come in for the most crucial step of the procedure. This is the implantation of a plastic tube that will be connected to the stomach. The stomach is where food is temporarily stored and digestion begins. We need to remove some of the contents from the stomach before further digestion can occur.
The tube will be connected to a button that will be placed on the outside of your abdomen on your skin. Shortly after eating, you will use the kit that will be provided to remove or “aspirate” the excess food from your stomach before it’s digested. Although this can sound a bit odd, it’s a perfectly simple process. You will be instructed on how to attach the kit to the button on your abdomen in order to remove up to 30 percent of the meal you just consumed into the toilet. You can then flush, clean up and put the kit away.
The AspireAssist system is implanted during a procedure that usually takes just minutes. Most of our patients will return home the same day, although there are exceptions. If your digestive system is particularly sensitive, you might need to stay a little longer for close evaluation before you’re released.
This program is not complete without the counseling and support that you need. Our staff will likely encourage you to eat healthier, consume smaller portions and get plenty of exercise during this time of change. This system will train your body to accept smaller portions of food without causing you to experience hunger and feelings of deprivation that make weight loss so difficult. Even though a good bit of the food will be removed from your stomach, the body will still receive enough calories to operate normally.
You will have to come into the clinic as needed so we can see how you’re doing. We will check your electrolyte levels, blood sugar levels and other variables associated with the blood. The site button on your abdomen will also be checked regularly to make sure it’s operating properly. It can take a considerable level of commitment to see this through. Before you decide on this procedure, make sure you have the right schedule to do so.
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty
While the AspireAssist program is based on removing excess food from the stomach before it’s turned into calories, the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) procedure seeks to reduce the volume of space available for food to occupy. The ESG is a gastric restriction procedure that encourages patients to eat much less than they normally would, forcing the body to take in less calories and encouraging the burning of fat.
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There is no need for surgery, although it might sound like it. We make use of an endoscopic suturing device for reducing the functional volume of the stomach. If you are significantly overweight, meaning you have a BMI of 30 or higher, this procedure might suit you best. There are versions of this operation that do require surgery.
If you elect to have this procedure, you will be able to go home the very same day it’s performed. You will need some time to recover at home, but you will probably be able to return to work in just days. You can take part in most all of your normal everyday activities once you’ve had the time to recuperate.
We encourage all of our patients who have had this procedure to be careful the first couple of days, just to be sure. We all respond to treatments in our own unique ways, so paying close attention to how you feel after the procedure is advisable. You will have the support you need every step of the way.
The ORBERA Non-Surgical Balloon
Sometimes, we just eat more than we need to, not feeling satisfied until we’re completely full. Many people in Queens, NY and elsewhere are guilty of this, not just the overweight and obese. This is why health professionals will tell their patients to eat foods that are high in fiber. Fiber takes longer to digest, making you feel fuller for longer. A similar kind of principle is applied in the case of the ORBERA non-surgical balloon procedure.
The ORBERA balloon is made from a very soft silicone that has a very low likelihood of causing an allergic reaction. The balloon is placed in the stomach and expanded with the help of a sterile saline solution. The solution is safe enough to be absorbed by the body without causing a negative reaction in the slim chance that the balloon breaks. However, this is highly unlikely, because the ORBERA balloon is manufactured to be highly durable and long-lasting.
The ORBERA non-surgical weight loss intragastric balloon system consists of a six-month balloon placement period, followed by another six months of nutritional counseling and behavioral modification coaching. Our team will encourage and assist you in developing healthier eating habits and taking care of your cardiovascular health with diet and exercise.
ORBERA is a medically-supervised program that we can use to train our patients’ digestive systems to learn to accept smaller amounts of healthier foods. Ideally, our patients will see this as a training period for learning new eating and exercise habits. We want the results you achieve to be long-lasting and easy to maintain with enough effort and support.
Get Started
When you come in for your weight loss screening at Batash Medical in Rego Park, NY, we want you to understand your diagnosis as well as your treatment plan as much as we do. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation and get started. We look forward to hearing from you!
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