By: Robyn Darnell, FHW PR and Communications Coordinator
There’s a lot more that goes into losing weight than just changing your diet. At FHW, we understand the importance of a comprehensive approach to weight management. Our new Weight Management Clinic is run by board certified general surgeon Dr. Andrew Morse. We offer a broad range of services to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals. In addition to surgical and medical weight loss options, FHW also offers physical therapy, dietitian visits, and exercise recommendations.
The two main surgeries offered at FHW are a sleeve gastrectomy and a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. In a sleeve gastrectomy, about 70-80% of the stomach is removed, greatly limiting the amount of food that a person can eat. During a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the surgeon will create a small stomach pouch and reroute the small intestine causing food to bypass most of the stomach and the first section of the intestine. A gastric bypass surgery also reduces food intake, leading to weight loss. After both procedures, patients experience rapid weight loss with the majority of the weight loss occurring within the first year.
While the procedures themselves may appear simple, the preparation for weight loss surgery is extensive. Patients are required to meet with a dietitian, a physical therapist, and a psychologist to ensure they have all the necessary support to be successful. Patients are also required to go through classes designed to prepare them for surgery. In total, this process can take anywhere from two to nine months depending on requirements of the patient’s insurance.
Another option for reaching your weight loss goals is taking a GLP-1 medication. The medication offered by the FHW weight management clinic is tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro or Zepbound. A GLP-1 medication helps to reduce food noise by slowing down the stomach emptying, and so the stomach stays full longer. This allows you to focus less on food and hunger, making weight loss easier.
These medications are becoming increasingly affordable and many people have found success in taking a GLP-1 like tirzepatide. Medications that once cost over $1000 a month are now offered for a fraction of that price. This change in price has improved accessibility to GLP-1 medications, allowing more people to seek treatment and see meaningful results.
It’s important to note that both medical and surgical weight loss is a tool, one that can help you lose weight when paired with the right lifestyle changes. “These surgeries are great tools to get the weight off and keep it off, but it’s not a magic bullet,” Dr. Morse said. “It still takes effort on the part of the patient.”
While these tools can greatly improve the success of your weight loss journey, the right support is required for consistent and healthy weight loss. At FHW, we’re committed to providing a comprehensive approach to weight loss that allows every patient to thrive.
Whether you’re interested in weight loss surgery, weight loss medications or education about a healthy lifestyle, we’re here for you during every part of the process. Let us help you take the first step to changing your life for the better.
For more information about Weight Management at FHW call 970-200-1740 or visit https://fhw.org/services/weight-management/.
