Onvida Health announces new weight loss program
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Onvida Health has announced a new weight loss program to help patients improve their health.
According to a press release, the duodenal switch procedure is a type of surgery "that combines stomach reduction with intestinal rerouting."
Onvida Health says the surgery helps patients who struggle with severe obesity and Type 2 diabetes by providing both a transformative weight loss and significant benefits to their health.
"The duodenal switch is one of the most powerful and transformative tools we have for patients that are living with severe obesity," said Dr. Robert King, Bariatric Surgeon at Onvida Health. "For many patients, this surgery is truly life changing. It allows them not just to lose weight but feel better, move more easily, and take back control of their health. And now, they can do that right here in Yuma."
Onvida Health says the procedure is led by Dr. King and Gustavo Ortega as the surgery requires a "high level of special knowledge and teamwork."
"The addition of the duodenal switch reinforces the team's commitment to providing comprehensive, individualized weight-loss care to Yuma and the surrounding communities," said Dr. Ortega, Bariatric Surgeon at Onvida Health. "It's another example of our commitment to progress and to caring for the communities we have the privilege of serving."
Dr. King, Director of Bariatric Surgery says, “we weren’t capturing some of these patients that I was at first sending them to Phoenix or sending them to San Diego, or Tucson, and I was like wait, we should be doing this here.”
According to Onvida, this procedure has historically been the best operation to maintaining weight loss long term.
“The Duodenal Switch is also a very old operation, we create a gastric sleeve, a little larger than what we do for the stand alone sleeve procedure, and then we bypass to a different portion of the intestines, this leads to a lot more durable, more weight loss," says Dr. King.
The operation is most impactful for patients who have severe obesity or type two diabetes.
To date Onvida has already performed three procedures.
“The obesity epidemic is still rising with almost fifty to sixty percent of the population having the disease of obesity and we are looking at those needs and making sure that we are able to help as many people as we can here," says Dr. King.
Onvida shares what this now means for patients to have such a advanced procedure so close to home.
Dr. Ortega, Onvida Health Bariatric Surgeon says, “it means they have a team, it means they have a team at a comprehensive center, who is willing and able to offer this operations.”
One of the doctors who performs the surgery shares a message with future patients.
“Just know that were here, were available, were excited to help you all. We believe that just because we live in a small community, does not mean that we should deter from the standard of care," says Dr. Ortega.
To learn more about the procedure, click here.
