Bariatric Division Recognized

Sinai Hospital's Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, led by Alex Gandas, M.D., was recognized for excellence this week. The American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network Accreditation Program granted Sinai "full approval" as an American College of Surgeons Level 1A Accredited Bariatric Center.

This designation means Sinai Hospital voluntarily met essential criteria of excellence in bariatric surgery care capability and institutional performance. Established by the American College of Surgeons in 2005 in an effort to extend established quality improvement practices to all disciplines of surgical care, the ACS BSCN Accreditation Program provides confirmation that a bariatric surgery center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality care for its bariatric surgery patients. Accredited bariatric surgery centers provide hospital resources necessary for optimal care of morbidly obese patients. They also show they have the support and resources necessary to address the entire spectrum of care and needs of bariatric patients, from the pre-hospital phase through the postoperative care and treatment process. Sinai Hospital's program includes monthly support groups for bariatric surgery patients.

To learn more about the bariatric surgery, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

Tweeted Surgery a Success

Today's gastric sleeve surgery, which LifeBridge Health tweeted live, was a success. The patient, a morbidly obese man weighing 362 pounds, is expected to fully recover. His ideal weight is 159 pounds.

Gastric sleeve is not gastric bypass. In the sleeve procedure, surgeon Alex Gandsas, M.D., removed up to 85 percent of the stomach, and there was no rerouting of the small bowel or insertion of plastic devices. This procedure is considered safer, especially for those with heart ailments.

To see pictures of the surgery, visit us on Twitter under the name "LBHealth."

To read more about today's surgery and the history of tweeted surgery, view this Maryland Daily Record article.

If you are interested in learning more about gastric sleeve, call 410-601-9355 (WELL).

Gastic Surgery Today on Twitter

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter this morning as Dr. Alex Gandas performs a sleeve gastrectomy on a 49-year-old male with a history of hypertension and sleep apnea.

In this procedure, the stomach is reduced to about 15 percent of its original size, and is performed laparoscopically.

To access the live twittered surgery, search for LBHealth on Monday beginning at 10:30 a.m. Then follow us by using #LBOR. You can always find out the latest in health news and what's going on at LifeBridge Health by following us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/lbhealth.

Follow Our Gastric Sleeve Surgery on Twitter

Do you have questions about what surgical weight loss looks like?

Now is your chance to follow it live on Monday, August 17 at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Alex Gandsas, Division Head, Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, will perform a sleeve gastrectomy on a 49-year old male with a history of hypertension and sleep apnea. The patient's body mass index is 57 and he currently weighs 362 lbs. His ideal weight is 159 lbs.

In this procedure, the stomach is reduced to about 15 percent of its original size, and is performed laparoscopically.

To access the live twittered surgery, search for LBHealth on Monday beginning at 9:30 a.m. Then follow us by using #LBOR. You can always find out the latest in health news and what's going on at LifeBridge Health by following us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/lbhealth.

Gastric sleeve procedure helps bariatric patients lose weight, improve blood pressure and diabetes

I've previously posted about the health advantages of bariatric surgery. The gastric sleeve is a relatively new approach. It involves re-shaping the stomach into a narrow tube, or sleeve. Unlike the gastric bypass or the band, the sleeve does not involve any “re-routing” of bowel or implanting foreign bodies into the abdominal cavity.

The gastric sleeve can help you get your energy back, lower your cholesterol and improve both your diabetes and high blood pressure.

Alex Gandsas, M.D., M.B.A., head of the Division Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai, will speak at a free lecture about this novel approach on Monday, April 6, at 6 p.m., in Zamoiski Auditorium at Sinai Hospital. To RSVP, please call 410-601-4486.