A recent study found that, despite soaring rates of obesity in the U.S. (and worldwide!), only 0.94% out of 3 million obese patients had undergone vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The doctors who conducted the study called VSG “underutilized” even though it has become the most common bariatric surgery in the U.S. in recent years. So why don’t more people opt for this life-changing surgery? Let’s look at some of the reasons.
Physicians don’t recommend it.
The study theorized that one of the reasons more obese patients fail to take advantage of VSG is that their doctors simply don’t bring it up. There’s still a mentality that, if you just work hard enough, diet and exercise are enough to get your weight under control. That’s such a dangerous and emotionally damaging message, not to mention that it’s just plain wrong. Science has proven that diet and exercise alone do NOT work for many obese people—no matter how little they eat or how hard they work out. Whether it’s a lack of knowledge about the benefits of bariatric surgery or a misguided belief in the effectiveness of willpower, doctors probably won’t bring up vertical sleeve gastrectomy. It’s usually up to patients to raise the possibility with physicians, who may or may not be supportive of the idea.
Patients don’t think they can cover gastric sleeve costs.
Lots of people don’t have insurance, and even if they do, it may not cover VSG. The average cost of bariatric surgery in the U.S. is $15,000-$25,000. If you don’t have that amount sitting around, well, you’re not alone. Faced with those numbers, it’s no wonder patients throw their hands up in despair and resign themselves to lifelong obesity. But bariatric surgery in Mexico is a whole other ballgame—and it’s one that nearly everyone can play. At Endobariatric, gastric surgery costs are as low as $7,999. And financing options are available for most of our packages, which means you can pay over time. The best part is that these manageable costs don’t affect the quality of the care patients receive. In fact, our safety and technology standards surpass U.S. standards in many cases. Our tens of thousands of successful, satisfied patients can attest to the fact that Endobariatric provides world-class care at a truly affordable price.
The idea of side effects and/or complications is scary.
We get it. It’s surgery. Anything can happen, right? And then there are the potential side effects of bariatric surgery, which can sound pretty unnerving. Many people decide that they’d rather deal with the physical and emotional issues associated with obesity rather than take a chance on an unknown procedure. But let’s look at these concerns one by one. First, the risks of the surgery itself. Did you know that our team is dedicated strictly to vertical sleeve gastrectomy? That’s all we do. And we’ve perfected the technique over the years so that it takes only about 30 minutes to complete the procedure. We could do a lot of VSG procedures in one day, but we don’t. We focus on each patient, giving him or her our undivided attention. Our complication rates reflect our expertise, with nearly all of those rates well below what you’ll find at U.S. hospitals. Secondly, the VSG lifestyle is nothing to be alarmed about; it’s something to get excited about! Unlike other forms of bariatric surgery, which can cause nausea, sweating, or vomiting if you eat the “wrong” thing, the vast majority of VSG patients report smooth sailing in their gastric sleeve diets. You’ll have to do your part with good nutrition, but VSG helps by removing part of your stomach, thereby shrinking its size and decreasing the amount of ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) in your body.
The bottom line? VSG is an effective way to combat obesity. And when you choose Endobariatric, it’s also a safe, affordable way to take back your health and your life.
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“Changing lives…one sleeve at a time”.
