FWM.kyra.weightlosssurgery0812

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BY JACINDA HOWARD

[email protected]

� e recently renewed Cash for Clunkers program is a huge success at Federal Way’s Jet Chevrolet.

� e CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS), also known as Cash for Clunkers, began as a $1 billion federal government program to help consum-ers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle when they trade in a less fuel-e� cient one.

� e program looked like it would be face its demise last week, but instead the e� ort was extended, with another $2 billion dedicated to the program. Cash for Clunkers will continue until November or until the funds supporting the program are depleted.

In Federal Way, Jet Chev-rolet’s business is boom-ing. Much is owed to the program. � ere has been a noticeable increase in cus-tomers and sales, general manager Don � ompson said. � e � rst week of Au-gust brought 60 percent the number of sales completed for the entire month of July, � ompson said.

“We’re going to be up 100 percent this month in car sales,” he said.

Vehicles of all kinds are being traded in for newer, more economical models. Business is so well, the dealership is having a dif-� cult time keeping up with customers’ demands.

“� e only problem we have right now is we are getting low on new car

BY KYRA LOW

[email protected]

It seems to be in the news all the time, and it is evident on streets across the country. America is getting bigger, and not in a good way.

Obesity rates are climb-ing. According to a study released in July by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in 31 states, obesity rates exceed 25 percent. In 49 states, the rates are above 20 per-

cent. Overall, the report found that two-thirds of all Americans are now obese or overweight. Go back less than 20 years ago, and no state had an adult obesity rate higher than 20 percent.

People are considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 40. � ere are three criteria to know if one is morbidly obese:

• If a person is more than 100 pounds overweight.

• If BMI is over 40.• If they have complica-

tions including high blood

pressure, edema, high blood sugar and shortness of breath, among many others.

� is higher rate of obe-sity is turning into a boon for weight loss surgeries. As more insurance companies pay for weight loss surgery — to avoid expensive medi-cines and surgeries due to complications from obesity — no weight loss center is busier than Federal Way’s St. Francis Weight Loss Surgery Clinic.

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F E D E R A L W A Y

MIRRORYOU’LL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR | 50¢

SPORTS | Boomerang master has a few tricks up his sleeve; see a video online [14]

EDUCATION | Communities in Schools of Federal Way is recruiting mentors [9]

ELECTED MAYOR | Latest initiative will appear on the November ballot [2]

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009

OPINION | Roegner: Federal Way judicial race steals the election spotlight [6] Sex in the Suburbs: Power to the parents [7]

Clunkers mean business for car dealerships

TV | Trinity Broadcasting station reaches beyond religion with ‘Public Report’ [4]

CALENDAR | Check out upcoming local happenings and events [13]

[ more SURGERY page 8 ]

Weight loss surgery 101: Federal Way hospital stays busy

In a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 10, Federal Way and its regional partners celebrated the beginning of construction on a new South King County jail. Federal Way, Renton, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Sea-Tac and Tukwila marked their vision and collaboration upon the 830-bed misdemeanant jail, known as South Correctional Entity (SCORE). Above: SCORE representatives dig in and break ground on the misdemeanor jail Aug. 10 at the Des Moines site. The jail is scheduled for completion in summer 2011. Read the full story on page 3 in today’s Mirror. JACINDA HOWARD, Federal Way Mirror

Cities break ground on regional jail

federalwaymirror.com

[ more CLUNKERS page 13 ]

Over the years, Dr. Ki Oh has

performed more than

4,000 weight loss

surgeries. Dr. Oh is

one of two weight loss surgeons at

St. Francis Hospital in

Federal Way. COURTESY

PHOTO

LEARN MORE

This report is the � rst in a two-part series on weight loss surgery. Check out The Mirror this Saturday (Aug. 15) for part 2, which explores the personal ex-periences of Federal Way residents who went through the life-changing surgery.

Special report

[8] www.fedwaymirror.comAugust 12, 2009

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about the lives of Washington families and the important role marriage plays in providing family stability. Respect-ful conversation will address those who fear inclusion of healthy families led by gay or lesbian people.

It saddens me that there are people who fear my gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender friends and beloved family members who are demonstrating strength in the face of this adversity. Barbara Clark-Elliott, Renton

[ LETTERS from page 6]

Surgery options� ere are more and more

options for weight loss surgery. In Federal Way, St. Francis performs the most weight loss surgeries in the state, and o� ers four types of surgery.

• Adjustable Gastric Band (also known as Lap Band) is a less invasive option. In this surgery, the stomach is not opened or stapled. Instead, a band is placed on the outside of the upper stomach, making a small pouch. � is surgery does not o� er as much weight loss as some of the others. However, it does have the shortest recovery time.

• Roux En Y Gastric Bypass is the typical weight loss surgery. � is operation creates a small thumb-sized pouch, which becomes the new stomach. � e small intestine is cut and rear-ranged to provide an outlet to the small stomach. When a patient eats following surgery, the food is sent to the second part of the small bowel within 10 minutes of starting to eat. � is reduces intake and quickly triggers the patient to feel full. � is surgery o� en o� ers weight loss of 80-100 percent of excess weight.

• Duodenal Switch is a less o� en performed sur-gery, where 85 percent of the stomach is permanently removed, leaving a small pouch of about 6 ounces. However, this surgery pro-vides weight loss through restriction and malabsorp-tion, so patients must care-fully watch their nutrition to avoid anemia, protein de� ciency and metabolic bone disease. � is proce-dure is generally limited to those patients with a BMI of over 55.

• Sleeve Gastrectomy is fairly new. � is procedure restricts food intake, and is

More insurance companies help with weight loss surgery[ SURGERY from page 1]

usually for highly obese or at-risk patients to provide enough weight loss in order to have a second surgery, usually a gastric bypass or duodenal switch, to be performed later. In this surgery, a little more than half the stomach is removed laparoscopically, leaving the remaining stomach in the shape of a sleeve. Patients can lose 30-50 percent of their excess weight in under a year.

Dr. Oh performs more than4,000 surgeries

Over the years, Dr. Ki Oh has performed more than 4,000 weight loss surgeries.

Dr. Oh is one of two weight loss surgeons at St. Francis in Federal Way. He said candidates for surgery at their center usually have a BMI above 35.

“People who come to my o� ce have gone through zillions of diets in the past,” Dr. Oh said. “Th is is the last resort.”

� e surgeries can range from one hour for the Lap Band surgery to four hours for the Duodenal.

� ere are complications

Types of weight loss surgeries o� ered at St. Francis Hospital include (from left to right): Adjustable Gastric Band (also known as Lap Band), Roux En Y Gastric Bypass, Duodenal Switch and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Read a description of these surgeries in the accompanying story. COURTESY OF ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL

for weight loss surgeries, including death in about 1 percent of patients. Other complications frequently include nausea, vomiting, some-times wound infections and ulcers.

And while insurance companies are more frequently approving weight loss surgery, there are still plenty of patients who are turned down or only receive partial cover-age for the surgery. Without insurance, surgeries can cost anywhere from about $15,000 for the Sleeve Gas-

trectomy to $26,000 for the Duodenal.

Dr. Oh said most of his patients are in their 30s and

40s, although he does go as low as age 15 and up to 69 years old.

Patients begin losing weight even before their surgery, he said. For two weeks prior to surgery, the patients are

put on a clear liquid diet, which continues for a month following surgery. � ere are permanent diet restrictions following the surgery, including no sugar or milk as well as the need

for a high-protein, low-carb diet.

Weight loss varies from surgery to surgery but the average, Dr. Oh said is 100 pounds over 10-12 months.

“When I started in 1985, a lot of doctors didn’t agree with me. � ey thought it was unnecessary,” Dr. Oh said. “People now are edu-cated through information.”

Weight loss surgery is meant to be permanent. Dr. Oh estimates that one in 1,000 patients want to remove their Lap Band aft er reaching their weight loss goals. However, that usually results in the patients gain-ing weight back.

“If you reverse the sur-

gery, you gain the weight back,” Dr. Oh said. “Th e gene has the memory. One patient had his removed and he gained 43 pounds in one month. Weight loss surgery is permanent.”

LEARN MORE

This report is the � rst in a two-part series on weight loss surgery. Check out The Mirror this Saturday (Aug. 15) for part 2, which explores the personal ex-periences of Federal Way residents who went through the life-changing surgery.

Special report

“People who come to my o� ce have gone through zillions of diets in the past. This is the last resort.” Dr. Ki Oh

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