AdventHealth Redmond is pleased to announce that it is now offering metabolic and bariatric surgery to patients seeking weight-loss surgery in Northwest Georgia.

Together with partners at the Harbin Clinic Bariatric Center, AdventHealth Redmond walks alongside patients to deliver personalized care through the bariatric surgery and recovery journey. Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective weight-loss solution that can benefit a person’s overall health.

Harbin Clinic providers J. Ryland Scott, MD, FACS, Peter Adams, MD, and P. Bennett Brock Jr., MD, make up the program’s surgical team.

Data released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showed that from 2017 through March of 2020 over 50 percent of U.S. adults were affected by obesity, the highest incidence ever recorded in American history, and it is estimated that this number is even higher today.

“Metabolic and bariatric surgery is significantly underutilized in the treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases, but now we have an opportunity to bring this life-changing service to more people in Northwest Georgia,” said Sarah Hunt, MSN, RN, CCRN, metabolic and bariatric surgery coordinator at AdventHealth Redmond.

The AdventHealth Redmond Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program offers advanced procedures including robotic-assisted and laparoscopic procedures, which lead to faster healing times, minimal scarring and a quicker return to normal life.

AdventHealth Redmond offers two different surgical procedures—the Sleeve Gastrectomy and the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. During the sleeve gastrectomy procedure, a surgeon creates a small, sleeve-shaped stomach, removing approximately 75 to 80% of the stomach. The newly formed stomach pouch created is about the size and shape of a banana. During the gastric bypass procedure, a surgeon creates a small pouch-like stomach. This new stomach resembles the size of an egg. During this procedure, the surgeon also reroutes the small intestine and connects it to the newly formed pouch or “stomach.” For patients who are having inadequate weight loss or complications from Lap-Band® surgery, our surgical team also offers conversions to a more effective surgical solution.

“Our whole-person approach is designed to help patients feel empowered to take their health and their life back — it is this approach in combination with our structured comprehensive program that help prepare patients for surgery and long-term success,” said Hunt.

You may qualify for bariatric surgery if you:

  • Are over the age of 18
  • Have a BMI of 35 or greater, regardless of the presence, absence or severity of comorbidities
  • Have a metabolic disease, such as diabetes with a BMI of 30 to 34.9

Guidelines recommend an even lower BMI threshold for the Asian population.

Although these guidelines for surgery are supported by medical research and population studies, most insurance companies will not consider coverage for bariatric surgery unless your BMI is greater than 35.

Patients interested in starting the metabolic and bariatric surgery journey can visit BariatricSurgeryGA.com or call 866-272-8379 for more information.