If excess pounds have been piling up and weighing you down, bariatric surgery may be your road to wellness. That journey can begin here, at Overlook Medical Center.
Can you rattle off the list of diets you’ve attempted unsuccessfully? Have you lost – and regained, and added to – the same pounds over and over again? If you’ve been on this roller coaster for years and wish to achieve meaningful and sustained weight loss, it may be time to consider bariatric surgery.
Overlook’s Bariatric Center of Excellence
Since 2006, Overlook Medical Center is a fully accredited Comprehensive Center for Bariatric Surgery by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint accreditation program between the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Overlook’s program – for adults and adolescents (age 16 and above) – is recognized as a leader in New Jersey for quality and volume. Overlook received the Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades for 2017, 2018 and 2019, ranking it among the top 5 percent in the country.
“Accreditation indicates a program has met a certain level of quality, safety, volume and outcomes,” says Colleen Zehala, BSN, RN, program manager for bariatric surgery at Overlook Medical Center. “When a patient is deciding on a facility, he or she should realize the benefits of an accredited center.”
Overlook’s dedicated team of fellowship-trained surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and facilitators are skilled in the unique needs of the bariatric patient. The program’s concierge department guides patients and their families through every step of the process, including comprehensive preadmission testing. All tests – from nutritional and psychological evaluations to imaging and lab work – are completed within a single day at Overlook. Private patient rooms are designed for the safety and comfort of the bariatric patient.
A Long-Term Solution … Not a Quick Fix
Surgery is only one part of the process; both before and after surgery, patients must commit to lifestyle changes as well. “Everyone is looking for a magic pill for an instant result,” says Zehala. “But the commitment to a healthy lifestyle, which includes weight loss, takes work and a realistic understanding of goals. Our program helps patients commit to becoming healthy and happy with their weight loss accomplishments.”