Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Spring 2017

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Shannon Weight Loss Center
Comprehensive approach
to weight loss
Obesity is a rapidly increasing
epidemic—more than one-third of the adult
population in our country is obese. This seri-
ous condition leads to health problems such
as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If left
untreated, obesity can be fatal.
Higher medical costs are another cause
for concern regarding obesity. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, medical costs for obese patients are
approximately $1,500 higher than for patients
of normal weight.
Bariatric surgery is a tool to help obese
patients regain control of their health. Sleeve
gastrectomy, a type of bariatric surgery of-
fered nationwide, is now available at the
Shannon Weight Loss Center.
“The goal of bariatric surgery is to reduce
the patient’s caloric intake and to curb hun-
ger,” says Kenny Jastrow III, MD, Shannon
General Surgeon. “The sleeve gastrectomy
is a restrictive procedure which narrows the
size of the stomach.This causes you to con-
sume fewer calories.”
The operation removes the receptors
that trigger hunger, which causes the ap-
petite to decrease. National standards are
used to determine if a patient qualifies for
surgery.
Bariatric surgery is a permanent change to
the body, and Dr. Jastrow and his team must
make sure patients are mentally and physi-
cally capable of tolerating the procedure.
The professionals at the Weight Loss Cen-
ter work with patients before and after the
surgery. Before the operation, patients must
have counseling with a clinical dietitian, a
psychiatric evaluation and an appointment
with a GI physician to evaluate the anatomy
of their stomach.
A PATH TO SUCCESS
“At Shannon we have a program in place
with trained personnel to help our patients
make sure they succeed,” says Dr. Jastrow.
Patients should expect to lose 60 to
70 percent of their excess body weight after
the sleeve gastrectomy. How quickly the
weight is lost varies for each patient.They
may be able to stop taking medications and
reverse conditions such as hypertension, high
cholesterol and diabetes.
“Surgery is only one part of our patients’
weight-loss journey,” says Dr. Jastrow. “We
can make sure the operation is a success
from the OR standpoint, but the patient
plays a huge role in making sure the out-
come is successful.They have to adhere to a
diet and make sure they exercise.The post-
operative follow-up is intense because we
want to make sure they are adhering to the
program.”
Patients are given a bariatric manual that
offers an in-depth look into the operation
itself, including pre- and postoperative care
required, dietary plans and foods to avoid.
“I think it’s important that we have this
procedure available locally,” Dr. Jastrow says.
“We’ve had patients undergo the surgery and
they are off of medications, their diabetes
is cured, their blood pressure is down. It’s
a huge help to some of our patients, and if
we can help a handful of patients along the
way—that is always the goal.”
A second
chance at Life
Cr ystal Delgado shares
abou t l i f e a f t e r
ba r i a t r i c sur ge r y
At 27 years old,
Crystal Delgado
had her first stroke.
She spent the next
10 years of her life in
and out of the hos-
pital and her doc-
tors’ offices fighting
constant sickness
and lethargy. She
was taking multiple
medications to man-
age her diabetes and
blood pressure, a
result of being over-
weight. Last year,
the mother of two
decided enough was
enough.
“I didn’t have any
energy, and I was
tired all the time,” she says. “And I was tired
of being sick and missing out on my kids
because of my health. I just couldn’t live like
that anymore.”
After discussion with her doctor and her
family and prayer, Crystal decided bariatric
surgery was her best option. She scheduled
an appointment with Dr. Jastrow at the
Shannon Weight Loss Center and began
the preoperative requirements to educate
herself about the surgery and what her life
would be like afterward.
Since her surgery in September 2016,
Crystal has dropped more than 70 pounds.
She is no longer on any of the eight medica-
tions she took to regulate her diabetes or the
two high-dose blood pressure medications
that kept her hypertension at bay—$700 she
can put back in her pocket. She credits her
self-discipline and dedication for keeping her
on track.
“The surgery is not an easy fix,” she says.
“I appreciate Dr. Jastrow telling me up front
the surgery is just a tool, and I have to use it
properly to be successful. You have to work
and keep working. It hasn’t been easy, but
I’ve pushed through and kept going.”
“My health has taken away enough of my
years. I can’t waste this second chance at life
I’ve been given.”
For more information about the sleeve gastrectomy
procedure, please call the Shannon Weight Loss
Center at 325-481-2344 or visit .
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