Millions of Americans who suffer from morbid obesity are at a higher risk for life-threatening complications like diabetes, high blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer. These individuals typically have a body mass index of 40, or a body mass index of 35 and suffer from other medical conditions. Bariatric surgery is a safe and proven way for these individuals to regain their health.
Drs. Yong Choi and James Dickerson are two highly experienced bariatric surgeons at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands. Throughout their careers, they have helped thousands of patients who have struggled to lose weight on their own with little or no success. As part of the hospital’s accredited Bariatric and Metabolic Program, both surgeons are fellowship-trained in minimally invasive bariatric surgery and were the first to perform robotic bariatric surgery in The Woodlands.
“We have 20 years of knowledge and practice in weight loss and decades of general surgery experience,” Dr. Choi said. “Our comprehensive program treats a wide range of patients who have tried unsuccessfully for years to lose weight — from the more common sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass to more complex revisional surgeries.”
Both surgeons agree that a patient considering bariatric surgery must be motivated to make serious lifestyle changes. Following surgery, patients must commit to eating a healthy diet of small portions totaling 1,000 calories a day. They must also commit to exercising on a regular basis.
“We are here for our patients to provide every facet of bariatric medicine. Not just operate and send them on their way. We follow our patients indefinitely,” Dr. Dickerson explained, noting that caring for a patient involves “treating them nonoperatively or operatively if they need it — even if it takes a long time or it’s a complex preoperative evaluation or postoperative course.”
In addition to this highly qualified pair of surgeons, the bariatric team at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands includes specially trained staff, including nurses, mental health professionals, and dietitians who are skilled in bariatric care.
Following surgery, patients recover in a unit specially designed for bariatric patients. Then the team follows the patient for 12 months and every year thereafter. A bariatric coordinator runs a twice-monthly support group that encourages patients to share their experiences. This support group is open to patients considering surgery as well as those who have had surgery.”Bariatric surgery has become one of the safest operations performed in this country,” Dr. Dickerson said. “It has been proven to increase longevity, decrease your mortality, decrease your chance of having a cardiac event, diabetes, or cancer. It is a dramatic change for patients.”
Less than 2% of all patients in the U.S. who are eligible for bariatric surgery actually undergo a procedure. “Obesity is a huge problem in the United States and causes many comorbidities. It should be a serious consideration for anyone who is morbidly obese,” Dr. Choi said.
Comprehensive Cancer Care in The Woodlands
Thanks to a collaboration between St. Luke’s Health and the renowned Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, patients in north Houston now have access to world-class oncology care in The Woodlands.
The two institutions are working closely to ensure that patients at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands benefit from the same innovative cancer care that is offered at the renowned Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center that is backed by clinicians and researchers from Baylor College of Medicine.
The depth of expertise in cancer care and research at Baylor College of Medicine earned the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute, awarded to the country’s top programs. U.S. News & World Report also recognized the center as one of the best in the nation for cancer care.
Members of the oncology team at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands are faculty of the Duncan Cancer Center and regularly collaborate with their downtown counterparts. As a result, they offer everything a patient needs for diagnosis and individualized treatment for a wide range of cancers. For patients requiring a procedure or treatment that is only available at the Texas Medical Center location, the care team remains closely involved so the patient may return to The Woodlands for the remainder of their treatment.
“St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands is equipped to handle a patient’s oncology care from surgery to treatment for many patients. When surgery must be performed at the Duncan Cancer Center, we partner with the surgeon and resume treatment back here, closer to the patient’s home,” said Angela Coscio, MD, medical director of the Duncan Cancer Center at The Woodlands. Dr. Coscio leads the onsite oncology team that includes medical oncologists Yelena Bracchini, MD and Laura Meza Rios, MD, and radiation oncologist Ather Siddiqi, MD.
“Here at The Woodlands, we have access to the behind-the-scenes sharing of knowledge that happens downtown for all of our patients, regardless of their diagnosis. We can offer those services right here at The Woodlands within the community where the patient lives, all in a very personalized and patient-centered setting,” Dr. Coscio said.
She says patients facing a cancer diagnosis have reason to be hopeful, thanks to advances in research and ever-expanding clinical trials, all accessible at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands. “For example, it used to be that in the field of breast cancer there were only 10 preferred drugs for treatment. Now, we can use more than twice that number and we are able to offer patients treatment that is much more personalized.”
The Woodlands oncology team participates in the Duncan Cancer Center’s Molecular Tumor Board, a regular meeting of all Baylor Oncology faculty who review and opine on the most difficult cancer cases. Baylor College of Medicine houses the nation’s largest clinical genetics program, providing the opportunity to analyze the genetic makeup of patients to develop custom treatments.
At the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, we’re here for one reason: to help you overcome cancer. Our research leads to breakthroughs. Our excellence leads to care that’s nationally recognized year after year. This is the power of academic medicine that can lead you to wellness.
“Our comprehensive program treats a wide range of patients who
have tried unsuccessfully for years to lose weight — from the more common sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass to more complex revisional surgeries.”
