![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Charles-Jake-SIDE.jpg\")
Charles Jake, vice president and general counsel at The University of Toledo, has lost about 80 pounds since undergoing bariatric surgery at The University of Toledo Medical Center in the spring of 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI was afraid they were going to see the reading and yell at me,\u201d he recalled. \u201cBut it was normal \u2014 without the medication. That was a big win in my mind because that was really what had driven me to finally have the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake, vice president and general counsel at The University of Toledo, has lost about 80 pounds since having the procedure in the spring of 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy blood pressure, which was my biggest concern, is normalized. I had plantar fasciitis in my foot, I had pain in my knees from carrying the extra weight. That\u2019s all resolved with the weight coming off. My blood sugar thankfully was not a problem, but it\u2019s stayed normal since then,\u201d he said. \u201cMedically it\u2019s the best decision I\u2019ve ever made in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake had been overweight most of his life, and though he\u2019d tried various diets, nothing ever seemed to take. He knew bariatric surgery was an option, but he spent several years putting it off in hopes that the next diet or smartphone app might be the key to getting healthy.<\/p>\n
A frightening at-home blood pressure reading finally pushed him to pursue the surgery at UTMC.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really high,\u201d he said. \u201cI knew it wasn\u2019t healthy, I knew it wasn\u2019t sustainable even with medication. I thought if I want to be here to see my kids graduate, if I want to walk my daughter down the aisle, I\u2019ve got to do something about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obesity is one of the most common diseases in the United States, affecting more people than cancer, chronic lung disease and chronic kidney disease combined.<\/p>\n
The most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show nearly 42% of American adults are clinically obese, and that obesity costs the U.S. healthcare system almost $173 billion a year.<\/p>\n
Even so, the lingering stigma of obesity represents a challenge for treating the condition, with many people feeling as though they are taking a shortcut by seeking medical assistance with their weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very common for patients undergoing bariatric surgery or patients taking weight loss medications to feel stigmatized. People think that they\u2019re cheating,\u201d said Dr. Justin Hsu, a fellowship trained bariatric surgeon at UTMC. \u201cThe reality is that our understanding of weight loss and obesity has changed dramatically over the last decade. We really try to emphasize that obesity is a disease with medical and surgical treatment options, not a lifestyle choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
That resonated with Jake.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a different framing than anything that I had heard before,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was really helpful and put my mind at ease about going through the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bariatric surgery is a general term referring to one of several different procedures aimed at helping people lose weight.<\/p>\n
Jake had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which reduces the size of the stomach. UTMC also offers gastric bypass surgery, though Hsu said sleeve gastrectomy makes up about three-quarters of all weight loss surgeries in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Done laparoscopically under general anesthesia, the vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedure takes about an hour. Surgeons remove as much as 70% of a patient\u2019s stomach, including a part responsible for producing hormones believed to play a role in making you feel hungry. Most patients go home the next day.<\/p>\n
Though all surgery comes with risk, the current risk of sleeve gastrectomy is lower than a routine gallbladder surgery. Bariatric procedures are usually well tolerated and possible even in individuals with other serious conditions.<\/p>\n
In general, patients are candidates for bariatric surgery if they have a body mass index of 40 or more, or 35 or more with obesity-related health conditions like diabetes or hypertension. They also need to have made efforts to address their weight through diet and physical activity through the bariatric surgery program.<\/p>\n
Patients typically begin seeing results within two weeks, with the peak weight loss coming about a year after surgery.<\/p>\n
While bariatric surgery is not for everyone, for those who fit the criteria and are willing to commit to making long-term modifications in their lifestyle, it can be life changing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important thing is that you understand that even though bariatric surgery is the only long-term treatment for obesity, it is still only a tool and a small part of what we do,\u201d Hsu said. \u201cYou still need to use diet and exercise afterward, but if you follow through, with our support, it can provide a long-lasting, significant improvement in your overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the case for Jake, who continues to receive follow-up care and counseling from UTMC.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your journey and it\u2019s your health and you have to take ownership of that,\u201d he said. \u201cBut for me, it was absolutely the right decision. I\u2019m glad I did it. I wish I had done it earlier. I have no regrets about it and I\u2019m really happy with the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Individuals who are interested in learning more about UTMC\u2019s bariatric surgery program can visit the UTMC website<\/a> or call the Department of Surgery at 419.383.3759.<\/p>\n