Meet the Experts

Dr. Jorge Rabaza

Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital

Videos

The Conditions That Obesity Can Cause

Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and respiratory disease are some of the conditions that obesity can cause. Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital, explains how most of these conditions are caused or worsened by overweight.

Changing Habits To Avoid Obesity

Changing eating habits is the most important thing to avoid obesity, affirms Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital. He also says diet is 90% important for an efficient weight loss and a healthy life plan. The other 10% is represented by exercise.

Cons Of Gastric Band

The adjustable gastric band is not being done any more in the US. Its main disadvantage is that the weight loss is very slow, says Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital. Also he explains the gastric band is a foreign body. “As we know, the foreign bodies will get infected," he says.

Risks & Benefits Of Weight Loss Surgery

Although there are many benefits to be gained when performing weight loss surgery, Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital, also says the procedure can have some risks, such as infection, bleeding, leak, and pulmonary embolism. He also explains when a patient has been obese for 30 or 40 years, he also has an excessive skin of the lower abdomen and it would require another surgical procedure. Besides the physical and health benefits, this surgery also has a mental benefit, doctor Rabaza affirms.

Treatment For Severely Obese People

Most of the time physicians treat obesity with diet and exercise and they obtain good results. But if the patient is morbidly obese, the treatment is different, says Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital. He explains severely obese patients have a difficult time losing weight. “Weâ€™ll put them on a diet, and after three or six months of diet and exercise program if they fail to lose the amount of weight they need to lose, then theyâ€™re going to qualify for a bariatric procedure," he says.

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