Dr. Sugimoto (General Surgeon) talks about the bariatric surgery procedure. Dr. Sugimoto explains who are the best candidates, what the surgery involves, and the benefits of it.
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Bariatric Surgery Program
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Dr. Sugimoto in addition to being a very experienced general surgeon, has extensive expertise in bariatric and trauma surgery. Her experience with bariatric surgery is a future opportunity for GCRMC. Dr. Sugimoto believes it is important to keep her patients focus on their primary care needs while addressing their surgical concerns.
When Dr. Sugimoto is not working, she enjoys time the outdoors with her husband and their dog. She is also a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo and appreciates a creative outlet, including quilting and pointillism drawings. She is looking forward to the opportunity for long-distance cycling. Dr. Sugimoto is excited about being here in our community and providing the best care to her patients.
Dr. Sugimoto is accepting new patients at GCRMC Surgical Associates of Alamogordo. Please call (575) 446-5365 to schedule an appointment.
Kimiko Sugimoto Blair, MD
Dr. Sugimoto is Board Certified in general surgery. She joins the GCRMC Family from Michigan. She grew up in central Africa and still visits family there from time to time. She studied medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and completed her residency in General Surgery at Synergy Medical Education Alliance of Michigan State University.Dr. Sugimoto in addition to being a very experienced general surgeon, has extensive expertise in bariatric and trauma surgery. Her experience with bariatric surgery is a future opportunity for GCRMC. Dr. Sugimoto believes it is important to keep her patients focus on their primary care needs while addressing their surgical concerns.
When Dr. Sugimoto is not working, she enjoys time the outdoors with her husband and their dog. She is also a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo and appreciates a creative outlet, including quilting and pointillism drawings. She is looking forward to the opportunity for long-distance cycling. Dr. Sugimoto is excited about being here in our community and providing the best care to her patients.
Dr. Sugimoto is accepting new patients at GCRMC Surgical Associates of Alamogordo. Please call (575) 446-5365 to schedule an appointment.
Transcription:
Bariatric Surgery Program
Joey Wahler: To lose weight or for addressing certain health issues like diabetes. One option is bariatric surgery. So we're discussing this weight loss procedure.
This is Champions for Wellness, a podcast from Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler, our guest, Dr. Kimiko Sugimoto Blair, she's a general surgeon. Doctor, thanks for joining us.
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler: So first, who are the best candidates for bariatric surgery?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So there's several people that are candidates for bariatric surgery. Some of them it's based on their weight and others it's based on their medical problems. So, Individuals whose body mass index is 35 and above and have medical problems may benefit from bariatric surgery, and individuals whose body mass index is above 40 or at 40, but do not have medical problems may benefit.
Joey Wahler: And so what exactly does weight loss surgery entail?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: That's a good question. So weight loss surgery entails preparing for surgery, and some of that involves some medical workup in order to make sure that the individual is ready to have surgery. And also some of it involves preparing them for the lifestyle changes that they will have to engage in in order to succeed after bariatric surgery.
Joey Wahler: And so I'll ask you in a moment about the follow up to those lifestyle changes you mentioned, but first, what exactly does the surgery involve doing?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So the surgery involves either restricting the amount. that people can eat by changing the size of the stomach, or they also might have a portion of the surgery that causes mal absorption of certain nutrients so that they will lose more weight or so that they can have better control of some of their diseases that are related to food intake.
Joey Wahler: So concerning weight loss, how effective is this surgery and what results and benefits can patients usually expect?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: The benefits related to weight loss surgery can be dependent on the patient and what they already are struggling with as far as their disease processes. As to how it can affect their weight, again, that is individualized, but many people lose a fair amount of their weight and then they are able to increase their other lifestyle changes so that they can have added benefits such as increasing their exercise capability as a result of their weight loss.
Joey Wahler: So it can really help them to help themselves thereafter. Right?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Correct.
Joey Wahler: So let's talk about. Some of that, which again, you had mentioned a moment ago, things that people need to do to follow up and maintain the benefits that the surgery creates. Tell us about that.
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Individuals who have bariatric surgery, they need to. Adjust their dietary intake. So they have to make changes that focus on increasing their protein intake and getting the protein first and then their vegetables and then their carbohydrates rather than focusing on getting their carbohydrates first, which is what many of us focus on when we're eating. And then the another aspect of lifestyle changes includes exercise. Exercise does not always lead to weight loss, and that can be very frustrating for individuals who spend a lot of time in the gym or working out and they don't lose any weight.
But exercise is of extreme benefit when it comes to maintaining weight. And so as individuals lose the weight, re with the assistance of the surgery, they are then able to use the exercise to help maintain that weight loss and keep it off for a longer period of time. So I am very encouraging to the patients about developing good exercise habits after surgery so that they can maintain that weight loss.
Joey Wahler: Gotcha. Now, how about bariatric surgery for those with diabetes or maybe hypoglycemia, what are the health benefits there?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Yeah, so individuals who struggle with diabetes can have a great benefit from bariatric surgery, aside from the benefit that they attain as a result of the weight loss. Certainly with change in their body composition. It assists them to be able to manage their diabetes and their sugar levels better than if they were at a higher weight. But also, especially the gastric bypass has a significant diabetic advantage and individuals are able to then their body, is able to then recognize insulin better than it was before.
And so individuals who have a significant number of medications that they are on, especially what we would consider to be brittle diabetics, where their sugars are poorly controlled, even with multiple medications, can benefit significantly from the weight loss surgery as a result of that increased sensitivity to insulin.
Joey Wahler: So what is the typical weight loss surgery recovery like?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So most individuals spend about a night or maybe two nights in the hospital with me being watched closely and making sure that they can be advanced to their diet and that their pain is controlled and then are usually back to work within the next four weeks. Some individuals are able to go back to work sooner, depending on how they're job, what their job requirements are or how they recover. But most people take about two to four weeks off from work.
Joey Wahler: What about any risks or side effects associated with this procedure?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: As with any surgery, there are potential risks, and I do have extensive education regarding that for the patients before they undergo the surgery. And I'm upfront with as they initially start the process, the journey of of seeing our office and the main concern sets with any surgery are whether there would be an injury at the time of surgery or some type of complication at the time of surgery. Which could involve something like bleeding or a leak from one of the connections or the staple lines.
And then there's the risk that can occur down the road, especially when you have a procedure that is assisting with weight loss. People may develop some mal absorption or some vitamin deficiencies as a result of the effect of the surgery, which is to lose weight, and so we watch those very closely. I follow my patients closely with their labs as well as working with their primary care provider to make sure that there are no complications afterwards and addressing them as they occur.
Joey Wahler: Any patients not suitable for this procedure?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: There are patients who may not benefit from this as a result of various reasons. For some patients, their medical problem or their medical condition is so severe that they would be better served having the procedure done at a larger center or at a center that has more ancillary physicians that can care for their medical problems. There are people who undergo bariatric surgery in order to be a candidate for a transplant. So some, just because someone is ill and has multiple medical problems, does not necessarily mean that they would not be able to have the surgery, but they may not be suited to have surgery at our facility, which is a smaller facility.
We also have individuals who are too overweight and they would be unsafe to undergo the surgery at any location, and they are recommended that they work from a medical management standpoint until they are at a safer weight, so that the surgery would have less complications. For the most part, many patients qualify again, based on their body mass index and depending on their medical problems.
Joey Wahler: Obviously, as you well know, the world of weight loss, be it surgically or otherwise, involves so many opinions and methods, and so on. Any misconceptions that you find patients have about this procedure that you can clear up for us?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: As you stated, there are many misconceptions about weight loss, and one of the biggest misconceptions is that weight loss surgery is the easy way out, and individuals who have had bariatric surgery will tell you that it is not easy, it is difficult. They have to be continually watching what they. And they do have to maintain the lifestyle changes or they can regain weight. And many people are against weight loss surgery because they know individuals who underwent all of the procedure and the preoperative and postoperative course, and then those individuals regain their weight and more. And so, they discourage people from having it.
The second common misconception is also very prevalent, even among healthcare providers, and that is the fact that obesity is a weakness. On the part of the individual and more and more medicine has realized that obesity is a disease and that disease needs to be treated. Now, there are multiple ways to treat it. It does not necessarily involve surgery for everyone, but it is extremely important that it's treated like a disease and that individuals are under the, are aware that the disease will progress if they do not get treatment.
Joey Wahler: Well, very good clarification and advice right there to end our discussion. Folks, we trust you're now more familiar with bariatric surgery. Doctor, thanks again for joining us
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Thank you for the opportunity.
Joey Wahler: And Dr. Kimiko Sugimoto Blair is accepting new patients now at GCRMC Surgical Associates of Alamo Gorda. So to schedule an appointment, please do call 575-446-5365. Again, 575-446-5365. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social. And thanks again for listening to Champions for Wellness, a podcast from Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, hoping your health is good health. I'm Joey Wahler.
Bariatric Surgery Program
Joey Wahler: To lose weight or for addressing certain health issues like diabetes. One option is bariatric surgery. So we're discussing this weight loss procedure.
This is Champions for Wellness, a podcast from Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler, our guest, Dr. Kimiko Sugimoto Blair, she's a general surgeon. Doctor, thanks for joining us.
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler: So first, who are the best candidates for bariatric surgery?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So there's several people that are candidates for bariatric surgery. Some of them it's based on their weight and others it's based on their medical problems. So, Individuals whose body mass index is 35 and above and have medical problems may benefit from bariatric surgery, and individuals whose body mass index is above 40 or at 40, but do not have medical problems may benefit.
Joey Wahler: And so what exactly does weight loss surgery entail?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: That's a good question. So weight loss surgery entails preparing for surgery, and some of that involves some medical workup in order to make sure that the individual is ready to have surgery. And also some of it involves preparing them for the lifestyle changes that they will have to engage in in order to succeed after bariatric surgery.
Joey Wahler: And so I'll ask you in a moment about the follow up to those lifestyle changes you mentioned, but first, what exactly does the surgery involve doing?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So the surgery involves either restricting the amount. that people can eat by changing the size of the stomach, or they also might have a portion of the surgery that causes mal absorption of certain nutrients so that they will lose more weight or so that they can have better control of some of their diseases that are related to food intake.
Joey Wahler: So concerning weight loss, how effective is this surgery and what results and benefits can patients usually expect?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: The benefits related to weight loss surgery can be dependent on the patient and what they already are struggling with as far as their disease processes. As to how it can affect their weight, again, that is individualized, but many people lose a fair amount of their weight and then they are able to increase their other lifestyle changes so that they can have added benefits such as increasing their exercise capability as a result of their weight loss.
Joey Wahler: So it can really help them to help themselves thereafter. Right?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Correct.
Joey Wahler: So let's talk about. Some of that, which again, you had mentioned a moment ago, things that people need to do to follow up and maintain the benefits that the surgery creates. Tell us about that.
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Individuals who have bariatric surgery, they need to. Adjust their dietary intake. So they have to make changes that focus on increasing their protein intake and getting the protein first and then their vegetables and then their carbohydrates rather than focusing on getting their carbohydrates first, which is what many of us focus on when we're eating. And then the another aspect of lifestyle changes includes exercise. Exercise does not always lead to weight loss, and that can be very frustrating for individuals who spend a lot of time in the gym or working out and they don't lose any weight.
But exercise is of extreme benefit when it comes to maintaining weight. And so as individuals lose the weight, re with the assistance of the surgery, they are then able to use the exercise to help maintain that weight loss and keep it off for a longer period of time. So I am very encouraging to the patients about developing good exercise habits after surgery so that they can maintain that weight loss.
Joey Wahler: Gotcha. Now, how about bariatric surgery for those with diabetes or maybe hypoglycemia, what are the health benefits there?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Yeah, so individuals who struggle with diabetes can have a great benefit from bariatric surgery, aside from the benefit that they attain as a result of the weight loss. Certainly with change in their body composition. It assists them to be able to manage their diabetes and their sugar levels better than if they were at a higher weight. But also, especially the gastric bypass has a significant diabetic advantage and individuals are able to then their body, is able to then recognize insulin better than it was before.
And so individuals who have a significant number of medications that they are on, especially what we would consider to be brittle diabetics, where their sugars are poorly controlled, even with multiple medications, can benefit significantly from the weight loss surgery as a result of that increased sensitivity to insulin.
Joey Wahler: So what is the typical weight loss surgery recovery like?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: So most individuals spend about a night or maybe two nights in the hospital with me being watched closely and making sure that they can be advanced to their diet and that their pain is controlled and then are usually back to work within the next four weeks. Some individuals are able to go back to work sooner, depending on how they're job, what their job requirements are or how they recover. But most people take about two to four weeks off from work.
Joey Wahler: What about any risks or side effects associated with this procedure?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: As with any surgery, there are potential risks, and I do have extensive education regarding that for the patients before they undergo the surgery. And I'm upfront with as they initially start the process, the journey of of seeing our office and the main concern sets with any surgery are whether there would be an injury at the time of surgery or some type of complication at the time of surgery. Which could involve something like bleeding or a leak from one of the connections or the staple lines.
And then there's the risk that can occur down the road, especially when you have a procedure that is assisting with weight loss. People may develop some mal absorption or some vitamin deficiencies as a result of the effect of the surgery, which is to lose weight, and so we watch those very closely. I follow my patients closely with their labs as well as working with their primary care provider to make sure that there are no complications afterwards and addressing them as they occur.
Joey Wahler: Any patients not suitable for this procedure?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: There are patients who may not benefit from this as a result of various reasons. For some patients, their medical problem or their medical condition is so severe that they would be better served having the procedure done at a larger center or at a center that has more ancillary physicians that can care for their medical problems. There are people who undergo bariatric surgery in order to be a candidate for a transplant. So some, just because someone is ill and has multiple medical problems, does not necessarily mean that they would not be able to have the surgery, but they may not be suited to have surgery at our facility, which is a smaller facility.
We also have individuals who are too overweight and they would be unsafe to undergo the surgery at any location, and they are recommended that they work from a medical management standpoint until they are at a safer weight, so that the surgery would have less complications. For the most part, many patients qualify again, based on their body mass index and depending on their medical problems.
Joey Wahler: Obviously, as you well know, the world of weight loss, be it surgically or otherwise, involves so many opinions and methods, and so on. Any misconceptions that you find patients have about this procedure that you can clear up for us?
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: As you stated, there are many misconceptions about weight loss, and one of the biggest misconceptions is that weight loss surgery is the easy way out, and individuals who have had bariatric surgery will tell you that it is not easy, it is difficult. They have to be continually watching what they. And they do have to maintain the lifestyle changes or they can regain weight. And many people are against weight loss surgery because they know individuals who underwent all of the procedure and the preoperative and postoperative course, and then those individuals regain their weight and more. And so, they discourage people from having it.
The second common misconception is also very prevalent, even among healthcare providers, and that is the fact that obesity is a weakness. On the part of the individual and more and more medicine has realized that obesity is a disease and that disease needs to be treated. Now, there are multiple ways to treat it. It does not necessarily involve surgery for everyone, but it is extremely important that it's treated like a disease and that individuals are under the, are aware that the disease will progress if they do not get treatment.
Joey Wahler: Well, very good clarification and advice right there to end our discussion. Folks, we trust you're now more familiar with bariatric surgery. Doctor, thanks again for joining us
Dr. Sugimoto Blair: Thank you for the opportunity.
Joey Wahler: And Dr. Kimiko Sugimoto Blair is accepting new patients now at GCRMC Surgical Associates of Alamo Gorda. So to schedule an appointment, please do call 575-446-5365. Again, 575-446-5365. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social. And thanks again for listening to Champions for Wellness, a podcast from Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, hoping your health is good health. I'm Joey Wahler.