For local residents on the quest to enjoy an improved quality of life through weight loss, comprehensive help in reaching those goals is just a phone call away.
For more than a decade, the Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Program has helped local residents throughout Cameron County reach their weight loss goals and live healthier lives in the process.
With obesity playing a major factor in a wide array of critical health issues ranging from diabetes to stroke, there is no time like the present for those interested in losing weight to consider options beyond traditional means of only diet and exercise, said Marcela Montemayor, Registered Nurse and program director of the Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Program at Valley Baptist-Brownsville.
“Obesity contributes heavily to metabolic syndrome, which can affect the entire body and can increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease,” she said. “Surgical options offered here at Valley Baptist can be the most effective long-term tool for weight loss and a resolution for many of the health issues associated with obesity. Now is the best time to take control of your life and your health through weight loss.”
Montemayor said that because the decision to choose surgical options for weight loss can often be both difficult and confusing, the Valley Baptist Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Program offers local residents a bevy of opportunities to receive information and education on surgical weight loss.
“What we try to do is educate our patients on what the procedures are about, how they work, and how the associated changes can benefit their lives. We explain exactly what lifestyle changes are required to help make this procedure successful, because we’re looking for long-term goals,” she said. “We want to make changes that last a lifetime.
People need help analyzing their lifestyles and dietary habits so they can make beneficial changes to help them reach their goals.”
As the Rio Grande Valley’s only medical and surgical weight loss program accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, Montemayor said the Valley Baptist Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Program offers a variety of surgical weight loss options to help patients reach their goals.
Procedures include laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic gastric bypass, both of which can lead to the consumption of less food, which in turn leads to weight loss, she said. Both procedures are considered minimally invasive, which can lead to shorter recoveries, less pain, and fewer complications than traditional surgical options. Montemayor said during free seminars offered the last Wednesday of each month, local residents interested in surgical weight loss options can get an in-depth look at the services and procedures offered by the program.
Because surgical weight loss procedures are accompanied by significant lifestyle changes to diet and exercise, Montemayor said the program makes it a priority to accompany patients on their long-term weight loss journeys.
“Our program is special because we consider our patients as family, and that doesn’t end after surgery,” she said. “We are all focused on helping people achieve their health goals safely and live long, healthy lives.”
For more information on the Valley Baptist-Brownsville Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Program, which is also accredited by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, visit https://www.valleybaptist.net/services/bariatric-surgery or call (855) 720-7448.
