At UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital’s Bariatric Services, our experts can help you achieve and maintain your healthiest weight.
Benefits of bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery or sometimes, metabolic surgery, include:
We offer our patients a spectrum of weight loss options – from non-surgical medical options to endobariatric intermediate procedures and surgical options. The program specializes in the treatment of obesity and abdominal problems in men and women.
Our Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery Program is accredited as a comprehensive center with adolescent and obesity medicine qualifications by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This accreditation recognizes the program for meeting rigorous standards of quality that evaluate patient outcomes, the volume of surgeries performed each year, and the continued support patients receive after surgery.
Bariatric Services
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
300 Halket St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
UPMC Outpatient Center on Clairton Boulevard
275 Clairton Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
UPMC Outpatient Center in Hampton
4490 Mt. Royal Blvd., Suite 3100
Allison Park, PA 15101
For individuals who choose not to undergo surgery, or for those who are not eligible, we offer non-surgical medical weight loss options. Treatment is tailored to your needs and supervised by medical experts who are trained in providing care for patients who are overweight and/or with obesity.
Our staff will provide the tools needed to help you move forward by providing a comprehensive program of the most current medical treatments available, nutritional education, healthy lifestyle coaching and support.
To help patients of any age achieve desired weight loss (averaging 7-10% of their total body weight) through nutrition and lifestyle counseling, using weight loss medicine as an adjunct to increase weight loss.
If down the road bariatric intermediate or surgical options become available to you, you’ll have access to UPMC’s highly trained staff of physicians, advanced practiced providers, and registered dietitians.
These non-surgical options offer weight loss (averaging 10-15% of total body weight) through endoscopic procedures. These procedures provide a less invasive and lower risk option than bariatric surgery.
The intragastric balloon system is designed to assist adult patients in losing and maintaining weight. Your bariatric surgeon will insert the balloon through your mouth and down your esophagus into your stomach. Once placed, the balloon is filled with saline until roughly the size of a small melon. The procedure takes 20 to 30 minutes and you typically go home the same day. The balloon helps you lose weight by reinforcing portion control and keeping you feeling full after meals. After six months, the balloon is removed.
The program includes balloon insertion and removal as well as a 12-month extensive lifestyle program, which begins at the time the balloon is inserted. This procedure is not covered by insurance.
Learn more about the intragastric balloon.
Provides weight loss by restricting the amount of food consumed (mimics surgical sleeve gastrectomy).
This procedure involves endoscopic suture placement along the greater curvature of the stomach, decreasing stomach volume by approximately 60-70%.
This procedure includes a comprehensive approach by a multidisciplinary team who will address the nutritional and lifestyle changes needed to help with weight loss success. Please check with your insurance provider to see if this procedure is covered.
Bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) may help achieve long-term weight loss, reduce or eliminate life-threatening weight-related illnesses, increase life span, and improve quality of life.
Our Healthy Living program offers a personalized concierge service designed to assist you with weight management, lifestyle improvements, and the establishment of healthy behaviors. This 10-month program includes both in-person and telemedicine visits with a registered dietitian and an advanced practice provider, all based on the latest clinical research to help you achieve your health and wellness goals.
Dietitian Support: Your dietitian will enhance your nutritional knowledge and provide the education needed to establish a healthy eating pattern. You will meet with your dietitian weekly for the first 2 months, followed by monthly sessions for the remaining 8 months.
Advanced Practice Provider Visits: During your visits with the advanced practice provider, we will review your medical history and educate you about FDA-approved weight loss medications*. These visits will occur every 2-3 months.
Educational Materials: Throughout the program, you will receive educational materials on diet, exercise, and behavior modifications to help you achieve your goals. You will also have access to the high-quality care provided by our UPMC providers.
If you are interested in learning more about our program, please call 412-641-6664.
*The Healthy Living Program is a self-pay program. Medications are not included in the cost.
Bestoun H. Ahmed, MD, FACS, surgeon in the division of Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery at UPMC, was recently interviewed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about endobariatrics and bariatric surgery.
Anita Courcoulas, MD, MPH, FACS, chief of Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery at UPMC, has recently published a JAMA article discussing the benefits of bariatric surgery for adults with type 2 diabetes. Read the study.
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If you think you might be a candidate for bariatric services, the following resources are available to you:
