Under the Knife: Getting Rid of the Excess Weight to Combat Obesity | Dr. Shusmita Ahmed
If you are dealing with obesity, you might not know it but your body still has a chance to get rid of your excess weight as soon as possible. Obesity is heavily associated with other comorbidities, and the longer you have it, the harder it gets to treat. This is the reason why doctors suggest weight loss surgery as an option for patients with comorbid conditions and have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or have a BMI between 35 and 40.
Bariatric surgery is one of the safest weight loss surgeries that has a record of 250,000 procedures performed each year. It helps patients increase their lifespan from the possible life-threatening weight-related health problems by making changes to their digestive system to help them reduce weight.
In today’s episode, we’ve invited Dr. Shusmita Ahmed, Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency program at UC Davis Medical Center who obtained her Bariatric Surgery fellowship at the same hospital. She has generously shared her knowledge about bariatric surgery and its benefits, the risks it poses, how patients are prepared for the surgery, and what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. She also discussed lifelong lifestyle changes necessary to maintain weight loss, which is essential to preserve the quality of life.
Medical practitioners are gifted at educating patients about their chronic conditions and give options on how these can be treated. This episode is worth your time and undivided attention as it will enlighten you about life-saving procedures and lifestyle changes related to obesity.
Memorable Quotes:
- There's a lot of stigmas associated with obesity and we don't want patients to not get treated because they feel stigmatized and that they feel like they're a failure. If they haven't been able to achieve weight loss, that's not the case at all. - Dr. Shusmita Ahmed
- As primary care, we should spend a lot more time with patients in terms of not only lifestyle modifications but also educate the patients in terms of their options. And I think we fall short in doing that. - D. Jette Gabiola
About the Guests:
Dr. Shusmita Ahmed finished General Surgery at Stanford University and obtained a Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at UC Davis Medical Center. She is currently the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency program at UC Davis Medical Center
About the Host:
Dr. Jette Gabiola is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the President & CEO of ABCs for Global Health. Click here for her full profile or read her full interview here.
About ABC's for Global Health:
ABCs for Global Health is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding practical solutions to health problems of disadvantaged and underserved communities. Their programs include telemedicine, research on nutrition and healthcare, and disaster response.
Visit these links if you'd like to support either by volunteering or sharing your resources:
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