Losing weight can feel like an overwhelming undertaking, especially for individuals who have been having issues with obesity for many years. Although creating a calorie deficit through diet and exercise is necessary for weight loss to occur, it may not yield the expected results for everyone. When you are stuck in a situation where you have tried all you know but the scale refuses to budge, working with a non-surgical weight loss doctor can make a huge difference.
Today, we are going to talk about non-surgical weight loss doctors, what type of training and expertise they possess, and the different options they offer to patients who desire to lose weight and improve their health.
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Who Is A Non-Surgical Weight Loss Doctor?
A non-surgical weight loss doctor is a medical specialist who has received extensive training in identifying and treating obesity and its associated conditions. In addition to offering patients proven strategies to help them achieve and sustain a healthy weight, they possess expertise in understanding the often complicated physiological, psychological, and other contributors that lead to weight gain.
Non-surgical weight loss doctors use their knowledge, expertise, and a variety of non-surgical services to create a plan of treatment designed for each patient’s circumstances that will help them overcome the obstacles that have hindered their previous weight loss efforts.
What Type Of Training Do Non-Surgical Weight Loss Doctors Usually Have?
These specialists typically have extensive training that spans several disciplines. These disciplines normally include:
Obesity Medicine
These doctors have received extensive training in the medical management of the disease of obesity, including diagnosing, treating, and preventing weight-related conditions. Only 2% of medical doctors are board-certified in obesity medicine or have completed a fellowship program in this field.
Internal Medicine
Many non-surgical weight loss doctors have backgrounds in internal or family medicine and have been trained in providing comprehensive medical care for a wide range of circumstances, including managing obesity and the conditions that result from carrying excess weight.
Gastroenterology
The best non-surgical weight loss doctors are board-certified gastroenterologists and have received extensive training in diagnosing and treating disorders related to the digestive system, including the stomach and intestines. They have specialized training and expertise in advanced endoscopic procedures used to help promote significant weight loss, such as endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty and treatment with a gastric balloon.
Additional Disciplines
Non-surgical weight loss doctors traditionally work with a team of experts and collaborate on a plan for their patient that tackles the issues that have contributed to their weight gain. Sometimes, they themselves have received training in the following areas:
Nutrition And Dietetics
This field is related to understanding the importance of nutrition and diet and how they impact an individual's health. Experts in this field often work with weight loss patients, providing guidance on healthy eating habits and the benefits of macronutrients and micronutrients.
Behavioral Psychology
Maintaining a healthy weight typically requires significant behavioral modification. Challenges like emotional or stress eating, along with other types of eating disorders, need to be treated, overcome, and replaced with a healthier relationship with food through positive lifestyle changes. Non-surgical weight loss doctors and their teams are trained to understand not only the physical aspects of obesity but also the psychological or emotional influences that can influence an individual's weight. They often work with other professionals to provide the patient with the highest level of care.
What Are The Main Roles Of A Non-Surgical Weight Loss Doctor?
A non-surgical weight loss doctor is responsible for creating and overseeing a supervised program for their patients to help them lose weight and become healthier. They are also responsible for prescribing any necessary medication or performing any needed endoscopic weight loss procedures that will neutralize underlying conditions and maximize the patient's weight loss efforts.
They lead a team of experts who collectively support each patient and provide them with the strategies and tools they need to be successful in reaching their goals. This team can be made up of support staff, dieticians, nutrition coaches, exercise coaches, psychologists, lifestyle coaches, etc.
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What Procedures Do Non-Surgical Weight Loss Doctors Perform?
Studies have reported that obese patients who have higher BMI numbers are rarely able to lose weight without some type of medical intervention. Thankfully, these interventions can be completed these days with much less invasive techniques that do not require surgery. Endoscopic weight loss procedures do not involve incisions, have very low risk factors, offer very short recovery times, and provide the patient with excellent weight loss potential. Non-surgical weight loss doctors typically offer services including:
Intragastric Balloons
A gastric balloon is a temporary balloon-like tool that is installed inside a patient's stomach as a placeholder, reducing its available capacity. It remains in the stomach for anywhere between six and eight months, depending on the particular balloon chosen, and is later removed.
The non-surgical weight loss doctor uses an endoscope, which is a hollow, bendable tool with a light and a camera, to place the balloon inside the patient's stomach. This is done by sliding the endoscope down the patient's throat and lowering a deflated balloon down its center until it reaches the correct location. The balloon is filled with saline fluid until it is about 5” around, and then the endoscope is removed from the patient's throat. After a brief period of observation, the patient is discharged to go home to recover.
The gastric balloon will take up a large amount of space in the individual's stomach, which will basically force portion control, limiting the amount they can eat during one meal. Their feelings of fullness will also last longer, which will help them lose weight.
The balloon is taken out of the patient's stomach in much the same way it was installed during a short outpatient procedure. This procedure is often called gastric balloon therapy because it also involves a 12-month program where the patient works closely with the non-surgical weight loss doctor and their team. They learn strategies and life skills that will enable them to make changes to their behavior and lifestyle that promote maintaining a healthy weight.
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG)
Suture Sculpt ESG does not require incisions or surgery and is performed by a non-surgical weight loss doctor as an outpatient procedure. It offers very similar benefits to gastric sleeve surgery but offers many more advantages. ESG involves reducing the size of the patient's stomach by reshaping it into a smaller, tube-like pouch and using stitches to hold it in place. The amazing part of this procedure is that all of this is completed from inside the patient’s body, making the risk profile significantly lower than surgery.
An endoscope is used to access the stomach, which is carefully lowered down the patient's throat until it reaches the inside of the stomach. The endoscope looks a bit like a hollow hose, but it has a camera and a light attached to it so the non-surgical weight loss doctor can see exactly what they are doing during the procedure. Suture Sculpt ESG can usually be completed in about an hour, and after a short stay in the observation room, patients are discharged to go home. Most patients are recovered and back to their normal schedules in a week or less. Unlike after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery, there are no activity restrictions after ESG, so you can return to work or do whatever you feel up to.
Choose The Best Non-Surgical Weight Loss Doctor
One of the best things you can do to make sure your weight loss journey is successful is to get the help you need. Choosing the most qualified non-surgical weight loss doctor to perform your endoscopic procedure will be very important for your health and your final results. Ensure that the doctor you choose is an expert in endoscopy and has extensive experience performing the procedure you are having done.
Finding the best non-surgical weight loss doctor in your area may be a challenge because very few doctors have been trained in obesity medicine and are expert endoscopists. Many patients travel from all over the United States and from other countries to work with Dr. Steven Batash and the team of professionals at NYC Weight Loss Center. They do this because Dr. Batash is one of the best non-surgical weight loss doctors in the world and has a proven track record of successful endoscopic procedures to his credit.
Our experienced team understands the nuances of obesity and the challenges that accompany it. We provide comprehensive solutions that deal with the many different facets of the disease. Non-surgical weight loss procedures, weight loss medications, and personalized diet and exercise guidance are just some of the ways we help support our patients so they can achieve sustainable weight loss. If you are ready to get started on your journey to improved health, make your appointment today. We will support you all the way!
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