For Sarah Thompson, bariatric surgery is first step on journey to a healthier life
Watching former colleagues lose weight following bariatric surgery is what finally made Sarah Thompson decide to make the call to the Bariatric Surgery Program at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital.
“I had been interested in the surgery for a while,” said Sarah. “When I first started looking into it, the surgery wasn’t covered by my insurance. Once I heard my friends going through the process, I reached back out to my insurance to verify that it was covered and indeed it was.”Sarah placed a call to the office of Sameer Alrefai, MD, FACS, minimally invasive and bariatric surgeon who performs gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy procedures utilizing the da Vinci robotic surgical system.
"Many insurance companies require patients to have bariatric surgery through an accredited center,” said Dr. Alrefai. “Our recent accreditation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program has opened up more opportunities for patients in our area to undergo bariatric surgery at our hospital instead of having to leave the county for the procedure to be performed.”
Sarah’s first visit with Dr. Alrefai was on July 21, 2022. During the initial visit, they discussed her various health concerns and which procedure would be best for Sarah.
“I was on the fence about the gastric sleeve, like my former coworkers had, or the gastric bypass,” said Sarah. “When I was talking with Dr. Alrefai, I mentioned that I had heartburn and he told me the gastric sleeve can actually worsen acid reflux and heartburn, so that was going to be a no-go for me.”
Sarah and Dr. Alrefai decided the best option for her would be the gastric bypass, a procedure in which a small part of the stomach is used to create a new pouch about the size of a golf ball which is reattached to a section of the small intestine.
“The gastric bypass is one of the most common types of bariatric surgeries and is safe and effective for those who have struggled with weight loss," said Dr. Alrefai.
Insurance companies have different requirements for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Prior to surgery, most patients must complete dietary counseling with a dietitian, a psychiatric evaluation, a sleep study, an EKG with a cardiologist, and an endoscopy performed by a gastroenterologist.
“When I got in my car after the first appointment, I was calling and making appointments,” said Sarah.
“It typically takes three to six months to complete the necessary appointments prior to the surgery,” said Dr. Alrefai, “but our office is well aware of what is needed and helps the patient through the process every step of the way.”
Sarah had her surgery on Dec. 19, 2022. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, she only had several small incisions and was amazed that she had little pain following the procedure.
“I can honestly say I was never in any real pain,” said Sarah, who was given Tylenol once during her hospital stay. She was excited to leave the hospital and start the next chapter in her journey—adapting to a new way of eating.
“Post-operative patients start on a liquid diet and progress to more solid foods as they continue to heal,” said Dr. Alrefai.
Sarah admits that the post-operative diet was a little difficult to follow, but not because she was hungry.
“By day 14 to 21 you could have soft foods such as a hard-boiled egg or tuna fish,” Sarah said. “I was never so happy to have tuna fish in my life! I just wanted a taste of something that was not soup.”
Sarah quickly adapted to her new way of eating, tracking what she eats to ensure she gets the recommended amount of protein each day, and the effort has paid off, in more ways than just smaller pant sizes.
“I feel really good,” said Sarah.
“I am sleeping better, my back pain has gotten better, I am not as anxious as I used to be, and my mobility is better. I can do my set of stairs at my house without getting winded, even carrying a full load of laundry. I go to the gym three to four times a week and enjoy it. I never thought I would say that.”