Like everything important in life, weight loss is a journey unique to each individual. While certain diets, supplements or exercise may work for one person, they may not be the ideal solution for another. Of course, results with these methods take time, but if they are not producing results, it is best to consult with a doctor about the next step toward a healthier quality of life.
Bariatric surgery, as an option, can help one achieve long-term weight loss while also decreasing the risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and infertility. With newer procedures and techniques that minimize discomfort and shorten recovery times, the results are nearly unfathomable – yet, now more attainable than ever before.
“The surgery itself is just a reminder to your body as to what your limitations should be,” says Dr. Charles McCann, a general and bariatric surgeon at Inspira Health. “The bariatric process also includes education about what nutrients are important, how to approach food moving forward, and the importance of increasing daily physical activity. This education and support are vitally important.”
Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill offers several weight-loss surgery options, such as the gastric sleeve procedure, which aids in portion control by reducing the capacity of the stomach, and the gastric bypass procedure that, according to Dr. McCann, “not only decreases capacity, but also reroutes the intestines to reduce the amount of calories your body is actually absorbing.” The minimally invasive procedures require less downtime, and allow for a quicker return to daily activities. Many insurance companies offer coverage, as gastric sleeves and gastric bypasses are increasingly recognized as medically necessary procedures.
These procedures are performed using innovative technology, which has been of great interest to Dr. McCann since before medical school, when he was interested in both surgery and engineering. This shared focus on technology and elevating the patient experience made Dr. McCann and Inspira Health a perfect match, as he considers Inspira a place he “can definitely call home.” He graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia and completed his general surgery residency at Inspira’s Vineland campus. Following a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and bariatrics at St. Luke's Health System in Kansas City, Missouri, he returned to Inspira, where he performs robotic and other minimally invasive bariatric and general surgery procedures. All four Inspira medical centers offer bariatric surgery.
“Robotic surgery is a fairly new platform over the past decade or so that really provides a significant advancement in minimally invasive surgery. It allows us to do everything with small incisions; you have a lot of fine motor control, and this also helps speed up the surgery to get the patient in and out of the operating room efficiently so that they can have the best outcomes possible,” he says.
Dr. McCann also stresses that he, partner Dr. Christopher Bashian, and their team are here for patients “for their entire weight loss journey,” from first consultation to long-term follow-up. Their multidisciplinary approach supports long-term success by promoting healthy habits and realistic goals, monitoring for any vitamin deficiencies, as well as addressing a patient’s mental health – all of which make Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill a nationally accredited comprehensive center designated by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Inspira Medical Center Vineland’s Bariatric Program also holds national accreditation.
“You have surgeons, nurses, dietitians, all working as a team to aid patients during their weight loss journey; and then having the appropriate services available for consultation like pulmonology, cardiology and sleep medicine – we work closely with them and appointments are easily accessible at Inspira as part of our bariatric pathway,” he explains.
Dr. McCann guides and helps patients transform their lives, fostering increased confidence and improved mental health, and the diminishment of physical ailments related to obesity. His passion for and commitment to helping others is evident, as he approaches patients with empathy and education to both achieve and to maintain their ideal health goals. It all begins with a discussion of one’s history of trial-and-error weight loss efforts, an analysis of realistic goals, and a plan that creates a path toward a healthier tomorrow.
“I just want to emphasize that bariatric surgery is a tool that we have in our tool belt to help achieve weight loss goals,” says Dr. McCann. “But ultimately, the goal is for long-term lifestyle changes to aid in the most success. It's a lifetime commitment on behalf of the patient, but also on behalf of our entire bariatric team so that we can help achieve their goals.”
Inspira Medical Center of Mullica Hill
1-800-INSPIRA
InspiraHealthNetwork.org
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 14, Issue 6.
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