Bariatric Surgery Breaks the Cycle for Sleep Apnea Patients

Newfound correlations between sleep apnea and weight gain make bariatric surgery the "two birds with one stone" approach to a new life

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Dr. Feiz & Associates

Jun 05, 2012, 07:40 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Michael Feiz, a Beverly Hills bariatric surgeon, is breaking new ground in the treatment of sleep apnea with his approach to bariatric surgery. A wide range of symptoms set in motion by the presence of apparently linked symptoms (which may have a genetic link) are being treated all at once with gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy operations. The operation represents a watershed moment in the patient's journey toward better health and happiness.

Sleep apnea is the blockage of the breathing passages during sleep that causes severe snoring, gasping, and oxygen deprivation. According to a 2009 study in the Journal of Sleep Research, this leads to decreases in attentiveness and drive. What's more, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry links sleep apnea to depression in their 2010 study. The publication American Family Physician says treating sleep apnea leads to improved Quality of Life or "QOL." New research, however, is bringing to light new ways in which treating obesity is the key to unlocking these improvements.

First of all, patients are relived to find that these conditions may be linked more directly than they ever imagined. In a 2011 study, the Sanford School of Medicine in South Dakota reached the conclusion that "mutual genetic determinants" bring about genetic links that allow for the "clustering of sleep apnea with the other components of the metabolic syndrome." The idea that sleep apnea is genetically linked to obesity is giving patients new and medically sound motivation to approach bariatric surgery as an option.

Gastric Sleeve and other such operations had to be approached with caution in the 1990s. However, elite centers designated by the ASMBS as "Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence" such as Dr. Feiz & Associates in Beverly Hills, have been studied closely in recent times. Dr. Feiz's record of safety speaks for itself. In addition to the world-class safety practices you can observe at his center, Dr. Feiz has never had a mortality in his history. With a substantially higher rate of long term weight loss in morbidly obese patients than by dieting and exercise alone, bariatric surgery from Dr. Feiz more permanently treats associated sleep apnea than anything else.

Since Dr. Feiz routinely sticks by his patients long after their operations, he's able to watch their progress as their lives improve in the ensuing months and years. Dr. Feiz's patients report more than just weight loss, but the relief of symptoms correlated with sleep apnea , meaning more energy, better sleep, and an overall improved life outlook.

If you're interested in more information on Dr. Feiz's procedures including The Lap Band, visit online at www.drfeiz.com and ask about your FREE first consultation.

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SOURCE Dr. Feiz & Associates