Portsmouth Regional Hospital reports seeing an uptick in people choosing to have bariatric surgery and expects a record number of patients will undergo the procedure in the first quarter of 2021.
Bariatric surgery is the general term for weight-loss surgical procedures that reduce the size of the stomach. They are often used to help obese patients with diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Dr. Bernard Benedetto is the hospitals chief of surgery and a bariatric surgeon. He explained why patients are choosing to lose weight now.
This new threat of COVID-19 really seems to be a driver of this decision more and more, Benedetto said. They dont want to wait until the next surge.
Benedetto said people are realizing they need to get their obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure under control because those underlying conditions can cause complications for those infected with the coronavirus.
The interest in bariatric surgery on the Seacoast seems to be extremely high at the moment, hospital spokesperson Lynn Robbins said. We have seen more than 145 new patients since we reopened the clinic in May and have well over 100 preoperative patients actively in the program, which is the highest in the history of our surgical weight loss program, the oldest in the state of New Hampshire.
Robbins said the hospital halted bariatric surgeries for 12 weeks in the spring due to COVID-19.
According to Portsmouth Regional Hospitals website, choosing bariatric surgery is a lifelong commitment. Doctors discuss a patients individual needs and medical history, then create a nutrition and exercise follow-up plan to increase the chances of the surgerys success because the surgery is a tool, not a cure, to help treat weight problems.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends overweight, obese and severely obese people take their prescription medicines exactly as prescribed; follow recommendations for nutrition and physical activity while maintaining social-distancing precautions; and call a health care provider if they have concerns or feel sick.
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Demand for weight loss surgery goes up in time of COVID-19 - The Union Leader
