FSLH Bariatric Surgery Program Earns Renewal as Center of Excellence

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s (FSLH) Bariatric Surgery Program has earned a renewal as a Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, non-profit organization that advances the safety, efficacy and efficiency of bariatric and metabolic surgery.

Founded in 2002 by the medical director, Dr. William Graber, the Bariatric Surgery Program, located at the St. Luke’s Campus of FSLH, performed more than 900 surgeries in 2009, an average of 75 procedures a month. It is designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Dr. Graber, Dr. Matthew Fitzer, and Dr. Dmitri Baranov are surgeons who perform both gastric bypass and Lap-Band surgeries.

What is Bariatric Surgery?

Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a serious surgical procedure that decreases the size of the stomach, reduces food intake and can enable patients to lose a significant amount of weight. It is a permanent procedure that requires a lifetime commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Weight-loss surgery not only helps individuals lose weight, but can help improve overall health, well-being and self-esteem.

FSLH’s Bariatric Surgery Program offers:

• Nurses, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, case managers, and other clinical experts who specialize in the care of weight-loss surgery patients
• Registered dietitians who provide pre-operative and post-operative diet education and counseling
• Education and support in which family and friends can participate
• Individual educational sessions
• Physical and occupational therapists who provide education regarding exercise tolerance, improving mobility, work and leisure activities and assistive devices as needed
• A comprehensive patient guide for patients to follow from pre-operative consultation through the post-operative period
• A support group where you can share your experiences with other weight-loss surgery patients.

Types of Weight-Loss Surgery

Drs. Graber, Fitzer and Baranov perform both gastric bypass surgery and Lap-Band surgery, two of the most widely practiced types of weight-loss surgery.

During gastric bypass surgery, the weight-loss surgeon staples the smaller, upper part of the stomach, separating it from the rest of the stomach. The net result is that the amount of food you can eat is reduced. The small intestine is rerouted and connected to the smaller stomach pouch.

In Lap-Band surgery, the surgeon places a silicone rubber band around the top of the stomach; this creates a very small stomach pouch. When patients eat, they feel full very quickly. Food slowly flows from the smaller pouch into the lower part of the stomach and then into the rest of the digestive tract.

For more information regarding FSLH’s Bariatric Surgery Program visit us online at www.bariatricexcellence.com.

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Aida Mariani
Media Relations / Communications Specialist
Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare
1676 Sunset Avenue
Utica, NY 13502-5475
p 315.624-5433
f 315.624.5610
amariani@mvnhealth.com

FSLH Welcomes Eva Grayzel Who Tells Her Story of Strength and Triumph Over Oral Cancer Thursday, March 11, 2010

At age 33, Eva Grayzel was bounced among healthcare professionals for more than two years while the ulcer on her lateral tongue became more prominent and painful. Even though she never smoked or used alcohol, she endured a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection, and a maximum dose of radiation therapy following her diagnosis of late stage oral cancer.

On Thursday, March 11, 2010 Grayzel will speak during The Regional Cancer Center at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s dinner and lecture series. A buffet dinner will be served at 6pm and Grayzel will begin at 7pm, following a book signing at the Radisson Hotel, 200 Genesee Street, Utica.

A professional interactive performance artist by vocation, Grayzel will share riveting details about her late stage diagnosis and how she found the strength to persevere through the devastating effects of surgery and radiation.

The cost for this program is $15 per person. It includes dinner and a copy of Grayzel’s book “YOU ARE NOT ALONE; Families Touched By Cancer.”

In 2005, Grayzel developed her own oral cancer awareness campaign called “The Sextet Six-Step Screening: Six Steps to a Thorough Oral Cancer Screening” for which she was recognized by the American Academy of Oral Medicine and given honorary membership.

Through her self-discovery and profound insight, Grayzel evokes a passion for life and for early detection of oral cancer in a charismatic and compelling way. From the profound insight she gained, she intimately shares ways to find strength from adversity. Those who have heard Grayzel speak agree that she is captivating.

“Eva will touch your lives and souls. She will tell you first hand, from the patient perspective, what it is like to hear the words from a dentist, ‘You are in an advanced stage of oral cancer’,” said Dr. Michael Seigel, professor and chairman of Diagnostic Sciences, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine.

Seating is limited; please register early by calling (315)624-4673 or email dwilliam@mvnhealth.com.

To view sample pages of Grayzel’s book “YOU ARE NOT ALONE; Families Touched By Cancer,” visit www.Talk4Hope.com.

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Aida Mariani
Media Relations / Communications Specialist
Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare
1676 Sunset Avenue
Utica, NY 13502-5475
p 315.624-5433
f 315.624.5610
amariani@mvnhealth.com