This Bariatric Friday, Kemal Erkan, Chairman of American Surgery Center, is joined by Dr. Isaias Irgau of Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery (CHRIAS) to participate in a conversation about bariatric surgery and its positive correlation to life expectancy. Dr. Irgau, the President of CHRIAS, has extensive experience in minimally invasive weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery. CHRIAS amongst the most experienced in the area.

The dialogue begins by Erkan explaining when bariatric surgery is done correctly with a cooperative patient, it can increase the patient’s life expectancy. Dr. Irgau elaborates by saying life improvements from the surgery are instantaneous; “I was talking to one of my patients yesterday at a follow up, she is about a year out from surgery, and she told me she couldn't understand why she waited so long to have bariatric surgery… had she really known about bariatric surgery, she would have done it twenty years earlier,” he explains. The patient stated to Dr. Irgau how she feels much more confident, and her pain is exceptionally reduced.

The quality of life for the patient is immediate, Dr. Irgau vocalizes, “but the question bariatric surgeons wanted to answer for a long time is does bariatric surgery actually prolong the life of the patient”. To get this answer, surgeons must acquire numerous resources and maintain consistent follow up with their patients. For example, there is an ongoing study in Sweden, namely, the Swedish Obesity Study. This study observes two groups; both with patients who have the same demographics. One group contains people who suffer from morbid obesity but had bariatric surgery, and the other contains people who are morbidly obese that follow traditional treatments of diet and exercise. After following the two groups for years, it was apparent that patients who underwent bariatric surgery lived longer. Dr. Irgau concludes, “if you get rid of obesity, you are likely to live longer”. Obesity coincides with cardiovascular disease and cancer, the top two causes of death in the United States. If you can treat obesity, those diseases can be removed, so it is no surprise that undergoing bariatric surgery leads to a longer life. Obesity can be the root cause of these problems, so getting help via surgery can aid in diminishing the likelihood of developing these life threatening illnesses.

“One of the studies suggests (bariatric surgery) may increase life expectancy by eighty-nine percent,” Erkan mentions. “Absolutely,” Dr. Irgau responds, “it reduces premature death, so if the person’s life expectancy, compared to the general population, was supposed to be X amount of years, if they have obesity, they are unlikely to reach that age… they are more likely to die early”. He also explains that if you surgically address morbid obesity, the person is more likely to get closer to that life expectancy. There are certain cancers that tend to be much more common when the body mass index (BMI) is higher, Dr. Irgau explains; the number of cancers associated with obesity has increased over time. There is ongoing research aimed to understand the threshold of obesity that correlates with the likelihood of cancer.

Erkan shares some statistics from American Surgery Center patients; he has concluded that many patients have families. The patients’ choice to undergo bariatric surgery affects many people. These extra years of life are important to not only the person choosing to partake in the surgery but their loved ones as well. Obesity is reaching people of all ages; it is pervasive. If a patient is obese in their adolescent years, the longer they ignore the concern, the earlier mortality could affect them. It can impact people in the prime of their life, so intervention to this problem is critical. Dr. Irgau asks, “why are we not seeing more patients seeking this very important treatment, why are there still insurance companies who do not include bariatric surgery as part of their benefits… this has to do with the stigma associated with obesity… as if it is not real”. Obesity is a very real disease associated with very real problems. Bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure; the procedure has the outcome for the patient to become healthier and live longer. The procedure has a high safety level, and the benefits far outweigh the minimal risks. “This should be a no-brainer for all insurance companies to cover bariatric surgery,” Dr. Irgau says. This information needs to be heard and have an impact; therefore, Kemal Erkan and Dr. Isaias Irgau are committed to having these conversations promoting the benefits of and spreading knowledge about bariatric surgery.

Erkan then mentions examples of billion dollar companies that have minimal health insurance for their employees which exclude coverage for bariatric surgery; people are suffering, and it is unacceptable. Dr. Irgau expressed, “It would never be acceptable for an employer to offer health benefits that exclude cancer care… everybody would be up in arms if such a plan existed, and yet the comparison between cancer care and care for obesity are not different… both are lethal conditions”. Both diseases affect a person’s quality of life and life expectancy. Because there is a stigma associated with obesity, society overlooks the issue of obesity.

The intent of the Bariatric Friday sessions is to inform the public. It is important for people to understand that if a person currently is morbidly obese, which equates to a BMI greater than 40, they could potentially be a good candidate for bariatric. (removed whole next sentence) The likelihood of dying early is increased if you have morbid obesity; however, the likelihood of living longer is increased if it is addressed with bariatric surgery. Dr. Irgau makes this clear. Erkan explains there is an extensive team at American Surgery Center that is always available to help. “We care about our patients… at the end of the day, we do it with a passion, and our goal is to reach out to more people and help more people,” Erkan emphasizes.