A bariatrician, or weight loss specialist, is a healthcare professional who specializes in helping people lose weight in a safe and effective manner. They are knowledgeable about long-term alternatives to achieve weight loss, as well as available treatments, including medication and weight loss surgery. Weight loss specialists can provide personalized plans to help you reach your goals.
While bariatric surgeons are usually referred to as weight loss specialists, not every weight loss specialist is a bariatric surgeon.
While you may be considering bariatric surgery for weight loss, CardioMender, MD Weight Loss Specialists has been offering residents in Florida sustainable, medically supervised weight loss solutions for over 14 years. They can also help identify lifestyle changes that will make it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight over the long term in a much more sustainable manner.
What is a Bariatric Surgeon and What Do They Do?
Bariatric physicians, also known as bariatricians, specialize in the medical treatment of obesity and related disorders. Bariatric physicians are often confused with bariatric surgeons who perform weight-loss surgeries. With CardioMender, you can make a permanent lifestyle change that will lead to long-term weight loss success. Since we believe sustainable weight loss can only be achieved by implementing practical and sustainable changes, a maintenance program is critical so that these changes can take root over time.
Is Bariatric Surgery the Only Option for Weight Loss?
No, bariatric surgery is not the only option for weight loss. It is important to keep in mind that although bariatric surgery can be an effective way to address/treat severe obesity- it is not always tolerated, is associated with operable risks, and does not guarantee sustained results.
Some risks associated with bariatric surgery include:
- Surgical risks: As with any surgery, there are inherent risks involved, such as infection, bleeding, blood clots, and adverse reactions to anesthesia. These risks are typically infrequent, but they can still occur.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Bariatric surgery alters the way the digestive system functions, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. This is because the surgery reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses parts of the digestive tract, limiting the amount of food that can be consumed and absorbed. Patients may need to take lifelong supplements and adhere to a strict dietary regimen to prevent deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.
- Dumping syndrome: Dumping syndrome is a common side effect of certain types of bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass. It occurs when food moves too quickly through the stomach and into the small intestine, causing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
- At CardioMender, we believe that a permanent lifestyle change is key to sustainable weight loss. With our maintenance program, we aim to help you sustain the results achieved with our acute weight loss program and help you make these changes last over time.
How CardioMender, MD Weight Loss Specialists Can Help
For over 14 years, patients who followed CardioMender’s acute weight loss program and our maintenance program have experienced results that outperform those patients who had bariatric surgery without the surgical risk or cost. With the FDA approval of GLP-1 agonists, medications such as Wegovy™- (semaglutide) and Zepbound™ (tirzepatide) for medically supervised weight loss, the results achieved can be similar to that seen with bariatric surgery without surgery risks and costs. Both semaglutide and tirzepatide are also marketed under the names of Ozempic™, and Mounjaro™ respectively, for the treatment of type-2 diabetes.
Sustainable, Permanent Weight Loss is Available Without Surgery
CardioMender, MD, Weight Loss Specialists offer customized plans to meet individual needs and can help you achieve your weight loss goals in a safe and effective way. By providing personalized nutritional guidance, physical activity recommendations, and ongoing support, we can help you reach your desired results, feel and look your best, and achieve optimal health.
All of our plans are tailored to suit each patient’s lifestyle, palate, and health status.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals and achieve long-term success.
Image source: Nelli Kovalchuk via Shutterstock
