Advances | Tampa General Hospital | Spring 2022 (West Coast)

Page 53

HOPE FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE Tampa General Hospital’s cutting-edge approach to bariatric surgery improves outcomes for high-risk patients BY KAREN FELDMAN 50

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ore than 228,000 Americans undergo bariatric surgery each year to help them lose weight. That may sound like a lot, but it turns out that fewer than 1 percent of eligible Americans are evaluated for bariatric surgery. Studies show there’s a gap between Americans’ perceptions of bariatric surgery and the

reality. Weight-loss surgery is actually more effective than nonsurgical methods for weight loss, according to systematic reviews of multiple studies conducted by the Cochrane Library. It’s also less risky than many people believe, said Dr. Christopher DuCoin, medical director of bariatric surgery at Tampa General Hospital and chief of gastrointestinal surgery at the

ADVANCES

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5/12/22 12:34 PM


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