Obesity is caused by various factors and affects numerous organs in human body. Therefore, the treatment should be planned through a multidisciplinary approach, in which more than medical departments work together in harmony.
Patients who present for obesity treatment are primarily assessed by endocrinologist, dietician, psychiatrist, physiatrist and exercise consultant. The patient is also assessed by cardiologists and pulmonologists, if deemed necessary. Moreover, selected patients are also referred to a General Surgeon who is experienced in obesity surgery.
All patients are assessed in detail for underlying factors of obesity, eating habits, psychological problems and health status.
Diagnosis and Treatment Services for Obesity
A multidisciplinary approach is adopted in diagnosis and treatment of obesity; the principal aim to make patients lose weight smoothly without facing a problem and most importantly, maintain optimal body weight over years.
We aim to make patients who present for treatment of obesity lose weight under supervision of nutrition and diet experts. Here, a calorie-specific diet is planned for each patient according to eating pattern and health status. Patients are followed up by nutrition experts throughout the programme.
Patients who require obesity treatment generally face further health problems while exercising due to overweight; for example, problems in knee joint due to excessive loads. These problems cause the patient abandon exercising and result in further weight gain.
Diets and exercise programmes are effective methods to have patients lose weight. However, patients may regain the lost weight, since these programmes are deemed a cure of certain period of time and patients return to their former sedentary life at the end of this period.
Best-in-class doctors in our portfolio may prescribe medication treatment to eliminate metabolic problems (reactive hypoglycemia, insulin resistance etc.), if any, that may lead to weight gain in patients. However, medical treatment does not directly mean treatment of obesity with medications.
Obesity surgery is based on two basic principles; reduction of stomach volume and/or “malabsorption” which means hindering absorption of nutrients at certain phases of digestion.
Obesity surgery is recommended for patients with BMI value over 35 who cannot lose weight with other methods, such medical diet under supervision of a specialist, exercise, and medical treatment. Moreover, it is recommended for patients with body mass index over 30 who have problems which affect quality of life and life expectancy, such as hypertension, diabetes, and sleep apnea. The best surgical technique is determined by doctors in the light of various examinations and tests.
Treatment Methods in Obesity Surgery
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Sleeve gastrectomy, also called gastric tube surgery, aims to reduce volume of stomach (approximately 60-100 cc) in order to make patients feel full of minimal food intake. A certain part of the stomach is surgically removed, and a tube-like stomach is left behind (very similar to banana in size). Moreover, the part of stomach which releases the hunger hormone is also removed.
Gastric Bypass
In Gastric Bypass, a large portion of stomach is bypassed, and a small volume of stomach (approximately 30 to 50 cc) is prepped and anastomosed to small intestines. As it is also the case with other obesity surgery procedures, this type of surgery aims that some part of nutrients is discharged without being absorbed by decreasing volume of stomach and inactivating a part of small intestines. Hence, patients feel satisfied with less amount of food and a part of digested nutrients is absorbed.
Robotic-assisted System in Obesity Surgeries.
If a general surgeon recommends surgery for weight control, this also implies that the person can be a candidate of obesity surgery with da Vinci robotic surgery system. These operations aim to reduce volume of patient’s stomach to ensure feeling of fullness more quickly in order to decrease food intake.
Other Methods
Intragastric Balloon
In this method, an endoscopy is inserted into mouth cavity and advanced to stomach in order to place an empty balloon into lumen of stomach. Next, the balloon is inflated which occupies a part of stomach and leads to feeling of fullness. However, it also differs from other methods with failure of permanent solution, as the balloon is removed following a certain period of time (6 months).
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