Patients who have received a cancer diagnosis can find world-class treatment options at JFK Medical Center. Precision is a key word in today’s cancer treatment modalities. When cancer cells can be more precisely targeted, more surrounding healthy tissue and organs can be preserved.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) are two of these therapies available at JFK that deliver precise radiation to tumor cells at higher doses without harming surrounding healthy tissue. The Image Guided Radiation Therapy is used at JFK Cancer Center and as part of the CyberKnife® System:

The CyberKnife® System, offered exclusively at JFK Medical Center among HCA’s East Florida hospitals, is not a knife at all, but is an alternative to surgery for the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body. There are no cuts, so it is completely non-invasive, but instead high doses of radiation are delivered to the tumor sites with extreme accuracy.

CyberKnife’s image guidance system is similar to the system used for cruise missile guidance. This revolutionary advancement allows the CyberKnife to compensate for slight human movements during the treatment, which enables radiation to be delivered without the use of a stereotactic frame. This spares patients from the pain and inconvenience associated with the conventional head frame that is fixed to the patient’s skull.

High Dose Radiation (HDR) Brachytherapy (also known as internal radiotherapy) involves placement of a radiation source within or near the tumor site, allowing for high intensity treatment delivery with the utmost precision while preserving nearby critical organs.

Minimally invasive surgical treatment options that offer unparalleled clinical accuracy are also being utilized at JFK that would have been almost unthinkable a few short decades ago. JFK Medical Center is one of only five HCA East Florida hospitals where daVinci® Robotic Surgery is available.

By now, you may have heard of daVinci® Robotic Surgery, which has revolutionized the way many gynecological and urological cancers are surgically removed.

Urological surgeries for prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and kidney cancer are being performed through tiny incisions, in contrast to previous methods of open surgery or laparoscopy.

Gynecological surgeries for women requiring hysterectomy, or surgery for endometriosis or gynecologic cancer, are also being successfully performed via the da Vinci® Surgical System.

The robotic system provides physicians with enhanced detail and precision by actually simulating an open surgical environment, while allowing the operation to be performed through tiny incisions. The surgeon is able to see a 3-D image of the surgical field through a high-resolution camera throughout the procedure. He or she operates from a seated position at the console, while controlling four interactive robotic arms that hold the needed instruments. This differs from laparoscopy where the surgeon operates while standing and must look up and away from instruments to a nearby 2-D video monitor to see the image of the target anatomy.

Both the CyberKnife® for radiation therapy and the da Vinci® Robotic System for cancer surgery offer significant patient benefits:

CyberKnife® (radiation)

• Less pain
• No blood loss
• No incision
• Immediate return to normal activity
• No hospital stay usually required

da Vinci® Robotic System (surgery)

• Less pain
• Minimal blood loss
• Smaller incision
• Faster return to normal activities
• Shorter hospital stay

Precision and accuracy in targeting the cancer through radiation and surgery, lessening of pain and discomfort, and immediate or faster return to normal activities are all highly important factors in providing world-class care to patients who come to JFK for hope and healing.

For more information on any of the options mentioned in this blog, follow the links in this article. More information is available on our website on the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For information on Cancer Support Groups offered through JFK, call (561) 548-1613.Groups include Living with Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Living with Cancer, Bereavement. “Look Good, Feel Better,” a free service of theAmerican Cancer Societyis also offered. Call 1-800-227-9954 for more information or reservations.

They are truly “at the heart” of JFK’s Heart and Vascular Institute. Who are they? Our cardiac nurses. While we are known for our many “firsts” in procedural and technological advancements over the past two decades, it is our cardiac nursing team that makes a difference in the lives of their patients every day.

Deb Wolfington, RN, charge nurse for the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) explains, “Each cardiac nurse is an expert in a specific area, but we all work together as a team that excels at coordinating interactions throughout the continuity of care.”

Asenath (Sam) Cassell, RN, MN, Director of Nursing, continues, “The same nurses often follow patients transitioning from CVICU to the Step-Down unit, ensuring care will be seamless. We never lose sight of the fact that the patient is at the center of what we do.”

Sharon Williams, RN, communicates how cardiac care at JFK is a perfect blend of “high tech” and “high touch.” She says, “I work alongside top specialists, utilizing the latest technology in a supportive environment where my opportunities for growth are limitless. As we meet the challenges of cardiac nursing, we also tap into the power of human caring. We create lasting impressions on patients and their families.”

Cardiac nurses fulfill many roles as they interact with patients, family members, and other members of the healthcare team. They continually correlate information from high-tech monitoring equipment with the patient’s status and treatment. Each nurse must be ready for any emergency while projecting calm reassurance.

Chief Nursing Officer at JFK, Rosemarie Hayes, RN, expresses her confidence in our cardiac nursing team by saying, “Our nursing team applies critical thinking and expertise to ensure optimal patient outcomes every day.”For more information about JFK’s Heart and Vascular Institute’s services, check out this page on our website: Heart and Vascular Institute, or call 1-800-848-9809 or 1-561-548-3560.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (BCBSF) has designated JFK Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement. Gina Melby, CEO, JFK Medical Center, stated, “We are proud to have been recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement. JFK Medical Center always strives to exceed in the areas of quality patient care and this proves our commitment to orthopedics.”

In December 2008, JFK Medical Center unveiled a hospital expansion, building out the 5th floor tower of the south patient tower dedicated to its Orthopedic and Spine Institute. The $10.9 million expansion consisted of 36 private patient rooms, all 100% handicap accessible in 24,750 square feet of space. The unit includes a 3,400 square feet gymnasium and treatment space within its physical therapy department.

The orthopedics program comprehensively addresses the needs of patients who are suffering from back pain, joint pain, and dysfunctional mobility. ” Our program provides a continuum of care model,” notes Dr. Gregory Martin, Medical Director of Orthopedics. “Members of our team work collaboratively to provide our patients with a positive, healing experience to help them gain a stronger and enhanced quality of life.”

Specifically for patients in need of a hip or knee replacement, a revolutionary, new Anterior Approach is now available at JFK Medical Center, using the HANA™ Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Table. It is the only surgical table designed exclusively for hip and knee replacement. The Anterior Approach allows the surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip as opposed to the lateral (side), or the posterior (back) approach. Some of the many benefits of this procedure, in contrast to traditional hip and knee replacement surgery include less muscle trauma for the patient, reduced hospital stay, a smaller incision (4-5 inches as opposed to 10-12 inches), and faster recovery (2-8 weeks as opposed to 2-4 months).

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” said Allan Korn, M.D., Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer. “Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care.”

The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on www.bcbs.com:

• Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization
• Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume
• Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care
• Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care
• Shared decision-making and preoperative patient education

Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities’ overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians’ and leading professional organizations’ recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.

An estimated 100 million Americans simply don’t get a good night’s sleep. Many people are not able to function normally during the day, and have impaired ability to drive safely because they are affected by a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, stroke, congestive heart failure, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches, and other medical problems.

The majority of patients diagnosed with a sleep disorder have sleep apnea, one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. More than 12 million Americans are affected by sleep apnea and it is estimated conservatively that 10 million remain undiagnosed.

The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which means that the airway has collapsed or is blocked during sleep. The blockage may cause shallow breathing or breathing pauses. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. When you try to breathe, any air that squeezes past the blockage can cause loud snoring.

Obstructive sleep apnea happens more often in people who are overweight, but it can affect anyone. It is more likely to occur in men than in women; smoking and alcohol use increase the risk of sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, stroke, congestive heart failure, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches, and other medical problems.

Do you have sleep apnea?

Here is a quick survey to help you discover whether you may have sleep apnea:

Do you snore?

Are you excessively sleepy or fatigued during the day?

Have you been told you stop breathing during sleep?

Do you have a history of high blood pressure?

Is your neck size greater than 17” (male) or greater than 16” (female)?

Answering yes to 2 or more of the questions above indicates that you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep related breathing disorders other than sleep apnea include:

• Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)

• Hypersomnias (inappropriately falling asleep – narcolepsy is the most well-known example)

• Parasomnias (activities during sleep, i.e., sleepwalking and sleep terrors), and

• Sleep related movement disorders (such as restless leg syndrome).

The good news is that treatment is available. If you feel that you may have sleep apnea or another sleep related breathing disorder, discuss your symptoms with your physician. He or she may recommend an overnight evaluation at our sleep study lab.

What is a sleep study like?

Sleep studies are safe, painless and noninvasive. Before you fall asleep, a technician will place a number of small leads on your body, which allows your oxygen levels, heart rhythm and body/leg movements to be monitored throughout the night. Each of our four sleep study bedrooms has all the comforts of home, including a DVD player, television, and private bathroom.

“Our Sleep Center offers private and comfortable hotel-like bedrooms with adjustable beds,” says Bobby W. Pitcock, Director, Cardiopulmonary Services and Sleep Disorders Center. In the morning, we provide complimentary breakfast in our cafe. 

 “Our goal is simple,” he continues, “to help you get a sound night’s sleep.”

Diagnosis and Treatment

After your stay, our sleep technologists begin the process of scoring and interpreting the huge amount of data gathered. Once a diagnosis has been made, a treatment regimen is then created.

The Sleep Disorders Center provides ongoing counseling and offers long-term support groups for sleep apnea patients and clinics for users of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. CPAP is an effective treatment for alleviating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by pushing air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the airway open during sleep.

Do you need the Dream Team?

For more information about the Sleep Disorders Lab at JFK, call 561-549-9000.

The Dream Team – Standing (L-R): Austin Detwiler, Lisa Polyviou, Corie Clarke, Sleep Lab Technicians; Sitting, (L-R): Jennifer Gaetano, Sleep Lab Technician, Robin Champagne, Supervisor Neurodiagnostics, Cyndi Hally, Sleep Lab Technician

Have you ever wondered if you were having a heart attack? According to the American Heart Association, some heart attacks are sudden and intense – the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. More often, however, the signs are not as certain.

Heart attacks can start slowly, with only mild pain or discomfort. Other less common symptoms may occur, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain – symptoms somewhat more likely to be experienced by women. In cases like this, people often aren’t sure what’s wrong and delay calling for help.

Signs that can signal a heart attack is occurring include:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. 
• Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort. 
• Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Watch this 30-second video to see a heart attack in progress.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/aha/what.htm

What to do next:

Minutes count! If you or someone you’re with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don’t wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling for help. Call 9-1-1, which is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.

Don’t try to drive yourself or your loved one to the hospital! Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. Paramedics and EMTs are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. You’ll also get treated faster in the hospital if you come by ambulance.

How will they know if I’ve had a heart attack?

The doctor will:

• Review your complete medical history.
• Complete a physical examination.
• Discover any abnormalities caused by damage to the heart through the use of an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a medical device that makes a graphical record of the heart’s electrical activity.
• Sometimes use a blood test to detect abnormal levels of certain enzymes in the bloodstream.

Act in Time to Heart Attack Video

This video includes the dramatic, moving stories of three heart attack survivors and their families, illustrating the importance of heeding heart attack warning signs and seeking medical care quickly. They vividly convey how a real heart attack may differ from the stereotypical “movie heart attack” and how getting immediate treatment can save lives.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/video.htm

Treatments for Heart Attack

Treatments for a heart attack are undertaken to open a blocked artery. It is important to restore blood flow as quickly as possible to prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle, and to lessen the chance of a repeat attack.

The main treatments include: thrombolytic (“clot-busting”) therapy, other medications, and special procedures, such as angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery.

Within one hour of the heart attack: To be most effective, these treatments must be given fast–within 1 hour of the start of heart attack symptoms. Acting fast can save your life and limit damage to your heart.

Heart Attack Facts:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

• CHD is caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, and often results in a heart attack.

• Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack. About 460,000 of those heart attacks are fatal.

• About half of those deaths occur within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before the person reaches the hospital. The key is seeking medical care as soon as possible.

Find out if you are at increased risk of having a heart attack by taking this quiz:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/haws/quiz.htm

Source: American Heart Association

For many years, surgeons have been replacing worn-out hips and knees with prosthetic ones. Nationally, more than 285,000 hips and 300,000 knees are replaced each year.

Long-term patient satisfaction has been high, even using traditional methods, where surgeons either cut through the back or the side of the patient’s hip. From these vantage points, however, muscles and ligaments are severed, prolonging recovery time.

A revolutionary, new Anterior Approach is now available at JFK Medical Center, using the HANA™ Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Table – the only surgical table designed exclusively for hip and knee replacement.  The Anterior Approach allows the surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip as opposed to the lateral (side), or the posterior (back) approach.

With its unique capability to position the leg, the HANA™ enables the surgeon to replace the hip through a single incision, without detachment of muscle from the pelvis or femur. The table allows hyperextension, adduction and external rotation of the hip for femoral component placement – a positioning option not possible with conventional tables. The lack of disturbance to the lateral and posterior soft tissues provides immediate stability of the hip after surgery.

This way, the hip can be replaced without detachment of muscle from the pelvis or femur during surgery. The surgeon can simply work through the natural interval between the muscles. The most important muscles for hip function, the gluteal muscles that attach to the pelvis and femur, are left undisturbed and therefore do not require a healing process.

The benefits of this procedure, in contrast to traditional hip and knee replacement surgery, are several:

1) Less muscle trauma for the patient

2) Reduced hospital stay

3) Smaller incision – 4 to 5 inches as opposed to 10 to 12 inches

4) Faster recovery – 2 to 8 weeks as opposed to 2 to 4 months

Additional benefits include reduced pain, reduced blood loss, reduced tissue healing required, reduced risk of dislocation, and more rapid return to normal activities.

Orthopedic surgeons are excited to have this minimally invasive method of replacing hips and knees available to their patients. Dr. Gregory Martin, Medical Director of Orthopedics commented, “Cutting less muscle means faster recovery time and less pain, since all the muscles that hold the hip stay intact.”

“Patients who were hesitant to undergo the surgery before are now ready to proceed with their hip or knee replacement. It’s going to make a tremendous difference in speeding our patients’ return to normal activities. They will be able to move around better than they have in years with their new artificial joint.”

For more information on the new Anterior Approach Hip and/or Knee Replacement Surgery at JFK Medical Center call 800.616.1927

Innovation and Exceptional Success Rates Equal Excellence

Innovative treatments, leading edge technology, and a trustworthy track record has led JFK’s Heart and Vascular Institute to earn a national reputation for excellence.

Many “firsts” in the cardiac field were performed in its Cardiac Catheterization
 Lab, since opening in 1986, including:

• First in the nation to implant a metabolic pacemaker (automatically adjusts to increased physical activity and emotional stress of users)

• First in Florida to use DCA (directional coronary atherectomies, performed to clear narrowed blood vessels in your heart)

• First in Palm Beach County to use the Automatic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator

The Cath Lab’s opening itself was a first: JFK was the first in Palm Beach County to open an outpatient Cardiac Catheterization Unit. It is also the only closed Cath Lab in South Florida—the university model of delivering this type of care. In an academic setting, interventional cardiologists collaborate with surgeons and primary care physicians to deliver a team approach to care.

Cardiac Catheterization is an advanced, minimally invasive technique that can be performed under local anesthesia. Physicians can now detect even the most minor heart irregularities, monitor the function of arteries, and treat narrowing of the arteries and other conditions with interventional procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent implantation.

The JFK Medical Center Cardiac Cath Lab performs more cardiac catheterizations, angioplasties, and related procedures than any facility in Palm Beach County.

Success rates for these procedures are exceptional:

Ninety-nine percent (99%) of patients’ therapeutic interventional procedures (such as balloon angioplasty or stenting) were successful in treating blockages of the coronary arteries.

Nearly 98% of cath lab patients experienced no significant negative treatment outcomes, and had no complications with bleeding following their procedures.

For more information on procedures performed in our Cardiac Cath Lab, or any of the services offered by The Heart and Vascular Institute, call (561) 548-3560 or (800) 848-9809. 

View a video about Cardiac Catheterization, also known as Coronary Angiography, here:

http://www.jfkmc.com/healthcontent.asp?page=/animations/index

Cooling down the body of patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest has been shown to help prevent brain damage and improve outcomes. This relatively new method of cooling the patient from the inside out, through the use of intravenous cold saline, has been in use at JFK Medical Center since June, 2009.

Technically called “induced (or therapeutic) hypothermia,” more and more hospitals are adopting the American Heart Association’s 2003 guidelines for treatment of cardiac arrest, which includes this means of directly affecting the patient’s core temperature.

Ryan Cole RN, EMT-P, EMS Coordinator, “We are using the Alsius Thermogard machine from Zoll to accomplish this. Being able to cool the patient’s body temperature intravascularly is far superior to external cooling with ice or cooling blankets, which we began using last February. The faster we are able to lower the body temperature after return of spontaneous circulation, the more brain tissue we can save. We cool patients for 24 hours after cardiac arrest. We slowly re-warm the patient after the 24 hours is over. The Thermogard accomplishes this whole process, cooling, maintaining, and re-warming with just the push of a couple buttons.” During this time period, the patient is on a ventilator, while medications are administered to keep the patient free from pain, immobile, and under sedation.

This cooling method can save lives when administered quickly, as it prevents the brain from becoming starved of oxygen. The goal of the cooling treatment is to lower the body temperature to about 8 degrees Fahrenheit below normal. In order for the treatment to work, the patient’s pulse must be restarted, even if the patient remains unconscious.

Yes, it’s true. Over the past decade, cancer treatment has improved dramatically, due to advances in medical, radiation and surgical oncology.  It’s also true that the incidence of breast cancer is decreasing, but it was estimated 192,370 women in the U.S. would be newly diagnosed in 2009. From diagnosis to treatment, and ultimately, to the return to daily life, the Breast Institute at JFK Medical Center offers help, bringing together all the medical components of breast health.

Once a diagnosis has been made, an interdisciplinary clinic approach is taken to bring all medical specialties together in a “one-stop” setting, to create the optimum plan for the newly diagnosed breast cancer patient. “This allows us to not only provide a cohesive treatment plan but offers education and support to the patient at a trying time,” explains Beth-Ann Lesnikoski, MD, FACS, Medical Director of the Breast Institute. “ Just knowing that all the key members of the patient’s care team are working together, communicating with one another, and are with her every step of the way, does a lot to lessen anxiety.”

These interdisciplinary breast conferences strive to eliminate the logistical challenges patients can experience if they need to see many different physician specialists who aren’t located in the same building.” Medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and oncology nurses, along with supportive services such as nutrition, physical therapy, social work, are all present to review cases at the interdisiciplinary conference. These conferences are held at JFK Medical Center twice monthly. Clinical consultations and second opinion consultations can be offered to patients on the same day at the JFK Comprehensive Cancer Center.

JFK’s Breast Institute is the first in Palm Beach County to offer interdisciplinary breast conferences. Dr. Lesnikoski, a fellowship trained breast surgeon since 1996, was previously associated with Harvard University-affiliated hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts, where she worked in an interdisciplinary breast clinic setting

The Oncology Nurse Navigator, Donalyn Lamarre, assists women throughout their journey from diagnosis to survivorship. She helps to schedule and coordinate appointments and consultations, identify needed support resources, provide ongoing education, and arrange for comprehensive nursing assessment and support

Comprehensive services offered within the comfortable, compassionate environment of the Breast Institute at JFK Medical Center include:

* Digital Mammography
* Computer-Aided Detection System (CAD), serving as a second set of eyes after a mammogram
* Ultrasound and Ultrasound Guided Biopsy/Cyst Aspiration
* Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
* MRI-guided Breast Biopsy
*Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
* Access to cutting edge breast reconstructive surgeons
* Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation
* Access to clinical trials in medical oncology
* Bone Density Scanning
* Pre-operative Education programs

In addition to bringing together all the medical components of breast health, the Breast Institute at JFK Medical Center also sets a new standard by unifying the non-medical support services for patients. A full range of psychosocial, educational, and nutritional services are provided to assist the patient and family, including:

* Breast Cancer Prevention Program for High Risk patients
* Breast Cancer Survivorship Program
* Breast Health Resource Library
* Community outreach and educational programs
* Individual and group counseling
* Nutritional counseling
* Access to genetic counseling and screening

For more information about the Breast Institute at JFK Medical Center, call 1.877.9.MAMMOS (1.877.962.6667).

More than four million Americans suffer from morbid obesity. The majority have been frustrated by unsuccessful diet and weight loss programs. If you fall into this category, it is important to understand that you didn’t fail, the treatments did. Non-surgical weight control methods are usually ineffective at providing long-term weight loss for morbidly obese people.

 Bariatric surgery was recognized in 1991 by the National Institute of Health Consensus Panel as a viable method for inducing weight loss when a person is overweight to the point of being at medical risk. Health professionals view morbid obesity as a disease with serious medical, physical, social and psychological effects, not as a lack of willpower or self-control.

 What are some illnesses/medical conditions that can be obesity-related?

 • Respiratory Dysfunction

• Hypertension (High blood pressure)

• Cardiac Dysfunction

• Diabetes

• Arthritis

• Urinary Stress Incontinence (Involuntary leakage of urine)

• Hyperlipidemia (Excess fats or lipids in the blood)

• Gall Bladder Disease

• Menstrual Irregularities

• Elevated Cholesterol

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD, acid reflux)

• Sleep Apnea

 Are you a good candidate?

 You may be considered for surgery if you are 100 lbs. overweight or your Body Mass Index is greater than 40 and you have attempted at least two supervised diets.

 At JFK Medical Center, our services include:

 • Monthly orientation sessionss

• Private consultation with surgeon

• Pre- and post-operative nutritional counseling

• Assistance with insurance authorization

• Monthly support groups (a key to long term success)

 How is the Surgery Performed?

 The surgical procedure offered at JFK Medical Center is called the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. It is an operation performed under general anesthesia in which the surgeon partitions the stomach with a special type of stapler, creating a small pouch. This effectively reduces stomach capacity to less than 2-3% of its original volume – from the size of a cantaloupe to about the size of an egg! The surgical procedure takes two to two-and-a-half hours and patients can usually return to work in three to four weeks.

 Naturally, when the size of the stomach is reduced, the amount of food that can be eaten decreases along with it. A person who has had the surgery gets the same sense of satisfaction and fullness from a little snack that previously came only from a full meal.

 In addition to the stomach reduction, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is surgically attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the first two segments of the upper small intestine. This reduces the absorption of calories and nutrients.

 How Effective Is Bariatric Surgery?

 Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass offers patients the most effective form of surgical treatment with the lowest risk of subsequent problems and complications. Long-term follow-up studies done on the procedure indicate that it is safe and effective for most people.

 Immediately after the surgery, most patients begin losing weight rapidly and continue to do so for up to two years after the procedure. Some degree of weight regain is common two to five years after the operation, but regaining all of it is rare. Most patients lose and keep off at least 70% of their excess weight.

 Along with losing the weight, the illnesses and medical conditions listed above commonly improve after the surgery.

 Are There Risks?

 No major surgery is without risk. Among the potential complications are bleeding, wound infection, pneumonia, blood clots or bowel obstructions, all of which can be effectively treated. We strongly believe the benefits of weight loss surgery outweigh the risks by a wide margin, but ultimately the decision is up to you and your doctor.

 Do Most Insurance Companies Cover Bariatric Surgery?

 After your case is reviewed, your insurance company will be sent your obesity data and a prior authorization letter to see if they will cover the surgery. A number of insurance companies do cover it. In many cases, their decision depends on previous weight loss attempts and other health related problems associated with your obesity.

 How Can I Learn More?

 Anyone contemplating this surgery is encouraged to attend our next monthly orientation session with a family member or friend. You will have an opportunity to meet the surgeon, ask questions and talk to former patients. To arrange a free consultation or to register for the orientation, call 561-649-0243.