Saint Mary’s Hospital is pleased to offer two procedures to help patients achieve significant weight control. To qualify, patients must be at least 18 years of age or older and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 to 39 with co-morbidity risk factors, such as diabetes or hypertension.

Our surgeon, Dr. A. Aziz Richi, recommends that all patients considering surgical weight control attend at least one informational seminar, offered at Saint Mary’s Hospital, to learn about the different procedures that are available. Prior to surgery, patients are also required to meet with a nutritionist and psychiatrist, who will help to evaluate their eating habits and determine which type of surgery is best for them.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Most patients who choose this form of surgical weight control lose 80 percent of their excess weight within the first year. The procedure restricts how much food a patient can consume before they fell full. Gastric bypass is also malabsorptive, meaning it prevents the absorption of excess nutrients through the digestive tract.

The Lap-Band System
Patients who choose gastric banding lose weight more gradually, at a rate of about one pound per week, or 50 pounds per year. However, as with the gastric bypass procedure, they can expect to achieve the same weight-loss plateau within three years. Adjustable gastric banding is a less invasive approach and also is reversible.

Follow-up care
In 2006, Dr. Richi opened the Weight Control Center of Connecticut in Prospect to provide multidisciplinary services exclusively for patients who choose surgical weight control. The center offers enhanced nutritional and psychological support services for patients before and after surgery. A nutritional support group led by Carolyn Losure, MS, RD, CDE, CD-N, meets monthly and a support group led by Leonard Goldstein, Psy.D, which meets twice per month.