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Bariatric Program
August 29, 2008 |
It’s only been a few months since Dr. Moses Shieh got his bariatric surgery
program up and running in Fort Myers. In that short time he’s already acquired
more than 50 new patients.
He says, “I would have to say all of our patients wish they had their surgery
yesterday.” Dr. Shieh is one of the only surgeons in Lee County to offer obese
patients the option of lap band or gastric bypass surgery. “Surgery is only a
tool, it’s not a solution, it’s not a magic bullet, it is not a promise, but
what it is is a tool to help them lose the weight help them to sustain that
weight loss.”
Dr. Shieh and his staff firmly believe education is the key to helping patients
prepare for the life-change weight loss surgery will bring. “We feel it’s so
important to instill the education before-hand so patients are going to go seek
nutritional counseling with our dieticians. We try to make sure there’s not a
psychological issue for their eating,” says Shieh.
Lee Memorial’s bariatric program is also focused on following up with support
and education after surgeries. Dr. Shieh says, “We consider these patients our
patients for life or I do because it’s not something that you can just simply
say the surgery’s done and therefore you’re doing well. No, we follow these
patients very intensely.” Part of that follow up includes patients regularly
attending support groups.
Before approving patients for bariatric surgery most physicians require that
they quit smoking. |
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