Pros and cons of surgery for the overweight

Actress Carnie Wilson comes to Tulsa Thursday to dedicate a center at SouthCrest Hospital that specializes in surgery for people who are overweight. <br><br>Wilson made the surgery popular when she had

Wednesday, September 25th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Actress Carnie Wilson comes to Tulsa Thursday to dedicate a center at SouthCrest Hospital that specializes in surgery for people who are overweight.

Wilson made the surgery popular when she had it in order to lose more than 100 pounds. The surgery is no longer just for the rich and famous. As News on Six reporter Lori Fullbright tells us, a Tulsa doctor now does 17 of these surgeries every week.

Michelle Leaming used to weigh 360 pounds and wear a size 30. She was a wife and mother with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. After trying dozens of weight-loss programs, she decided to have gastric bypass surgery. "When I look back at videos or before pictures, I go, was that me? It brings tears to my eyes. I had to put myself in a shell to survive and get ready with that big person."

Michelle had the surgery three years ago and lost 200 pounds. In a video back in March, she was five months pregnant with her third child. Her weight gain shot up during her first pregnancy when she gained 75 pounds and she just kept getting bigger. "My routine was, I would get up in the morning, feed them breakfast, watch Bob Barker at 10 o'clock and eat two boxes of macaroni, that was after eating 16 pieces of cinnamon toast for breakfast."

She's heard the argument, just eat less, but Michelle says obesity is a complex mixture of physical and emotional stumbling blocks. "It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel and think there can be an end to this nightmare you're living in. It's very depressing and you just give up." Michelle, who's a nurse, decided to go to work for the doctor who performed her surgery, Dr Luis Gorospe.

He's released a calendar of before and after pictures of his patients. People who are at least 100 pounds overweight, between 21 and 55 years old. "It's a known fact, patients who go to strict diet, only 5% will keep weight down in five years." Dr Gorospe says this surgery has come a long way from the old stomach stapling, where 50 % of the people gained their weight back. Dr Gorospe creates a small pouch from the stomach that's about four tablespoons big. That becomes the personâ€™s new stomach and is hooked directly to the small intestine.

If they eat high fat, high calorie foods, theyâ€™ll experience extreme bowel discomfort. "This is my before picture, I was 252 pounds." Because it takes the mind awhile to catch up to the body, Dr Gorospe says support group meeting are crucial, before and after surgery.

"I knew I didn't want Brooks to grow up with a Mom who was just waiting for her life to end." Meredith Zuege lost 127 pounds after the surgery. She, like many others, believes it was a lifesaver, but that's not the case with everyone.

Phyllis Bell, victim's wife: "He really went through hell, so much pain and suffering." Phyllis' husband, Allen, died after having the surgery in California. He lived for seven agonizing months, had five surgeries, was on a respirator, had many infections and never got out of the hospital.

"It was six weeks before he passed away, that I knew he wasn't going to get well, to much wrong, too many things. In my heart, standing by his bedside. One day, I just had an awareness that he was dying." Allen had high blood pressure, joint pain, and sleep apnea and had tried dozens of weight loss programs.

Phyllis says the cure he chose, was worse than the disease. He left behind a wife of 18 years, eight children and 11 grandchildren. "I feel like all I can do from here is tell others that are still living, hey, think about this before you do it, otherwise, you could really suffer a lot and your family."

Doctors agree people should do their homework before having this major surgery. It takes 12 to 18 months to lose the weight and many people need additional surgeries like tummy tucks to get rid of the excess skin.

It costs around $19,000, some insurance companies now pay part or all of the cost.