Health information, patient stories, and research updates for the Columbia University Department of Surgery.
In an unexpected twist of fate, the death of a star athlete saves the life of his former baseball coach. Read the full story of how a young man’s tragedy provided life-saving organs not only for his coach but 50 organ recipients at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
{ 0 comments }
The December 2011 edition of the Manhattan Times featured two CLDT patients, Jeff Isaacs and Tony Herrera, in Celebrating the Gift of Life, One Transplant at a Time. Both had been severely ill with end-stage liver disease, but went on to receive liver transplants at NYP/Columbia: Isaacs received a deceased donor organ, and Herrera received a living donor liver from his son. Read the inspiring story of how transplantation not only treated their diseases, but completely transformed their lives.
{ 0 comments }
Though she’d been into fitness for most of her life, Gina C., an administrator at a hospital, suddenly found herself putting on unhealthy amounts of weight as she approached her fiftieth birthday. After making every attempt to combat her weight gain in other ways, she finally decided that she would consult the bariatric surgeons at The Valley Hospital, certified as a center of excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. She arranged for laparoscopic gastric banding surgery with Beth Schrope, MD, Director of the Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery at The Valley Hospital.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
It wasn’t until her final consultation with Dr. Schrope, however, that Gina decided to ask about an alternative treatment called sleeve gastrectomy, which involves removing about three-fourths of the stomach. The name “sleeve” comes from the appearance of the stomach afterwards; instead of looking bulb-shaped, the stomach is so much smaller and slimmer that it almost looks like a continuation of the esophagus.
Gina was thrilled to hear that the minimally invasive procedure, though a slightly longer operation, seemed to be just as effective, if not more effective, than laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding — but with a much lower rate of long-term complications (due to the reoperation rate after banding). No reconnecting of the intestines would be necessary, as in a gastric bypass, nor would an artificial device need to be implanted and regularly adjusted, as required by gastric banding. Most importantly — in Gina’s eyes, at least — one of the procedure’s unique effects is to substantially reduce the body’s production of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for stimulating hunger. “When I heard that [the sleeve gastrectomy] removes ghrelin, I raised my hand: I’m in!” Gina said. “The removal of ghrelin really needs to be investigated by anybody with an addiction to food — it’s amazing.”
The catch about sleeve gastrectomy, though, is that it’s permanent. A gastric band can be removed, and a gastric bypass undone — but after actually removing a portion of the stomach, as in the gastrectomy, it cannot be put back. As convinced as Gina was that sleeve gastrectomy was the way to go, Dr. Schrope insisted that she take a week to think about whether she wanted to make this irreversible decision. Gina did so. At home, she went to online forums and message boards, chatted with others who had gotten the procedure, and carefully weighed all of her options. She remained convinced that sleeve gastrectomy was the best choice for her.
On October 4, 2011, Gina had her operation. It went wonderfully. Even the unexpected presence of a hiatal hernia hardly slowed Dr. Schrope, who easily repaired the hernia as she went. The whole procedure was done laparoscopically, meaning that there was not so much an incision as set of five tiny holes. Only a couple hours after the operation, Gina was walking around. Two days later, she went home.
Since the surgery, Gina, an Italian, has lost the taste for pasta, carbohydrates, and starches; the effects of the lack of ghrelin, she says, are extremely noticeable, and wonderful. More importantly, perhaps, she has been steadily losing weight. She’s already lost 50 pounds — a good 20% of her body weight — and she says that although she’s already very happy with where she is now, it’s quite possible that she’ll continue to lose weight. She’s also been able to stop taking all the medications she’d needed before her surgery (namely, those for fibromyalgia, arthritis, and high blood pressure) because her dramatic weight loss has reduced or eliminated her symptoms.
All in all, Gina is incredibly pleased with the results of her operation: “I’m over the moon about it,” she said, “I’m the cheerleader. My results are fantastic, I’m off all my prescription medications, and I couldn’t be happier.” She’s even bringing exercise back into her life again, and can’t wait to go skating and biking once the weather warms back up in the spring.
{ 0 comments }
Browse the success stories in the weight loss section of the Department of Surgery’s website and you’ll notice a running trend beyond the impressive drops in weight maintained by these patients.
Lisa Pre-Op
They are all enjoying new activities, exercising, overhauling their eating habits, and one has even become a personal trainer. These new habits and lifestyles speak to comprehensive changes in their lives, made possible through the Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. For sure, bariatric surgery was one of the first and biggest steps in the transformation undergone by every one of these patients, but it wasn’t the surgeon who signed Lynda up for kickboxing classes or turned Lisa into an athlete and personal trainer.
Another trend you’ll notice is how the patients who have been successful in maintaining their new lower weights are still benefiting from the professional staff with whom they have worked since before having surgery. The center integrates a broad spectrum of medical professionals because sustainable weight loss depends on a lasting change in lifestyle. The key is the combination of the talented physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners, registered dieticians, behavioral therapists, and a host of ancillary support professionals—all dedicated to helping each patient make a smooth transition into a new, healthier set of habits.
Lisa Post-Op
“Seventy percent of a person’s weight is genetically determined,” says Marc Bessler, MD, Surgical Director, Columbia University Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery Director of Laparoscopic Surgery, “However, obesity has been increasing in the United States at a much faster rate than genetic changes occur, which tells us that environment also plays a huge role.” The environmental causes of obesity are precisely what make a comprehensive approach to weight loss so crucial. The registered dieticians and behavioral therapists at the center are trained to help patients confront the lifestyle changes that necessarily accompany their significant weight loss.
When a patient like Irina says, “I cannot imagine having these kinds of results without the undying support and unsurpassed care I received, and continue to receive, at the Columbia University Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery,” it becomes clear that there is a lot more successful weight loss than a date with the surgeon.
{ 0 comments }
Organ transplantation may be the most intense journey that a family ever experiences, complete with daunting challenges and the joys of triumph. On the Facebook site of the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, many organ donors and recipients have shared the stories of their struggles so that others will know what to expect and that they are not alone.
One such story is that of Kevin Martinsen, who received a living donor liver from his brother Daniel. Read how Kevin and Daniel share their moving stories in their own words.
So Many Roads, Ease My Soul: A Story of Living-Liver Transplantation
Kevin Martinsen
{ 0 comments }
When Brad Shwidock needed a liver transplant due to primary sclerosing cholangitis, his wife, Carol, was not only eager to donate, but was a good match. The successful living donor transplantation took place at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia September 13, 2011.
Living donor liver transplantation is considered one of the most important advances in the treatment of severe liver disease. By improving access to transplantation, living donor transplantation significantly reduces patients’ risk of dying while on the organ donation waitlist. At the Living Donor Liver Transplant program at New York Presbyterian Hospital, which is one of the largest living donor liver programs in North America, approximately 15-20% of the center’s transplant patients currently receive a liver from a living donor.
Read the Shwidock’s story as reported by the couple’s local paper, The Hour Online.
Learn more about living donor liver transplantation at livermd.org or by calling 1.877.LIVERMD (1.877.548.3763).
{ 0 comments }
Pamela Abma has come a long way since she spent several weeks hospitalized at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center last year, barely clinging to life. Just as June of 2010 began, she suddenly developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a result of an unusually violent reaction to a form of malaria that she had caught while performing missionary work in Uganda. Her reaction was so severe that she might not have survived were it not for the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation technology (ECMO) provided by Daniel Brodie, MD, Director of the Medical ECMO Program, and Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, MA, Director of the Adult ECMO Program. Thanks to ECMO, she made a miraculous recovery, and was out of the hospital in mid-July.
Pamela Abma at MS Bike-a-Thon
Her recovery was by no means complete when she left the hospital, however. She had lost twenty pounds while on ECMO, and was extremely weak; she could barely walk around. She desperately needed to put on the muscle mass she had lost. Choosing to forgo rehabilitation, she hired a personal trainer, and began her recovery by using weights in her swimming pool. Before long, she was spending the hot summer days swimming laps. Her strength gradually returned, and she was thrilled to be able to attend her son’s wedding in August.
As winter set in, Pamela’s daughter, Joy Abma, suggested that she make it a goal to participate in the following year’s Bike MS, a bike-a-thon put on by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Pamela’s niece had recently been diagnosed with MS, so the biking event seemed like an excellent way to support the fight against MS while also forcing Pamela to get in shape. She began to take spinning classes in preparation for the 50-mile ride, which she knew would be more strenuous, physically, than anything she had done in her life.
When winter was past and it warmed up again, Pamela took to the streets, biking regularly. That summer, Pamela and her family decided to commemorate the anniversary of her illness by reading aloud from a journal that Joy had kept throughout the time Pamela was on ECMO. Every day for those six weeks, Pamela would re-experience her illness through the eyes of her daughter, reading the passage written on that day the year before: “today, the doctors said you might not survive”; “today, you opened your eyes for the first time”; and so on. Until then, Pamela hadn’t been able to bring herself to read through Joy’s incredible journal in its entirety; finally doing so helped her understand exactly why her family calls her “the miracle girl.”
The next fall, the big day finally arrived: on October 3rd, 2011, Pamela joined her daughter and her sister-in-law in a ride that began at the Lincoln Tunnel and ended by the piers near the George Washington Bridge. She recalls pausing on the bridge itself, to reminisce: while she had been on ECMO, her hospital room had had a view of the George Washington bridge; she couldn’t see it herself from her position lying in the bed, but her guests remember it vividly. The cyclists decided to bike down to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center itself, where Joy took the picture seen here of Pamela in front of the giant banner. Needless to say, Pamela’s recovery has been an incredible success — and the family is already talking about participating in a three-day bike-a-thon next year, in order to raise money for the fight against malaria.
Related Link:
ECMO Saves Life of NJ Missionary with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
{ 0 comments }
At age 31, cystic fibrosis patient Timothy Sweeney needed a double lung transplant. Less than one year later, he ran the New York City Marathon with his transplant surgeon, Joshua Sonett, MD.
{ 1 comment }
For as long as he could remember, Alexander Vasquez struggled with his weight. His weight rose with the years — 100 pounds in kindergarten, 400 pounds by 9th grade. That trend was briefly reversed each summer, when he spent several months in the Dominican Republic playing outdoors with friends and relatives, only to resume again each fall once he returned to school in New York. He endured the hurtful comments of his peers until he dropped out of high school in his junior year, when he no longer fit into the school’s single chair and desk units.
Alex began the process of researching options for weight loss surgery in his early 20′s. First he tried to arrange for weight loss surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital, but his weight exceeded the hospital’s maximum limit. He tried to lose enough weight to qualify for surgery, but failed. The next year, he went through the same process at Montefiore Hospital, and again, was told he was ineligible for surgery because he was too heavy. He requested surgery at Beth Israel Hospital, and tried losing weight on his own with the help of shedweight.com, to no avail. After these disappointments, Alex said he just stopped trying, and his weight rose to almost 600 pounds. For the next few years, Alex felt resigned to being big forever.
In many respects, thing were going fairly well; Alex was working in a bindery, had a girlfriend, and did not have any other major health issues. But underneath the cheerful facade he portrayed to the world, Alex felt shame and discouragement about his weight. He started having back problems and his knee gave out several times, causing him to fall. Shopping for clothes, he recalls, was impossible in regular stores – the only options were very expensive specialty stores. His fatigue worsened, and he no longer had the strength to keep working. Then one day, he went to drive somewhere with his girlfriend and could not fit behind the steering wheel. He broke down in tears. Admitting that being obese was holding him back in life, Alex made a momentous decision: he did not want to become “a couch person,” as he calls it. “I wanted to grow up and be able to live life.”
With renewed determination, Alex contacted NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, where he had been born. The Center for Weight Loss Surgery would be able to do his surgery, he was told. Alex soon began pre-surgical evaluations, educational seminars, and monthly weight-ins at Columbia, and later at the Lawrence Hospital, a Columbia affiliate that was closer to home. And to hear Alex tell it, he couldn’t be any happier. “I love Lawrence Hospital – I love everything about it, from the parking attendants to the security guard to all the nurses and doctors on my team. They are fantastic.”
Since his surgery June 7, 2011, Alex has lost over 160 pounds and is ecstatic. He is well on his way to achieving his goal of a healthy weight (between 215 and 230 pounds for his 6’2” frame) by June of 2013. What’s more, his success has inspired him to reach out to others struggling with their weight: he has been posting a series of videos on YouTube in order to let others know that if they are obese, they can change their lives too. “Before my surgery, I was in denial about my weight. I acted like a regular person, but I didn’t look or act like a regular person because I was so big. Now, I want to encourage others like me to seek help, and for those who have surgery, I want to help them by letting them know what they can expect during this process. I’m open about everything because I hope every obese person will choose to come out of denial and find help.”
On the recommendation of his physicians, Alex chose sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that decreases the size of the stomach helping patients to feel full after eating smaller amounts of food than before surgery. Patients undergoing this procedure can expect to achieve significant weight loss, comparable to the results achieved by gastric bypass surgery, but in a less complicated manner. Alex’s surgeon, Aaron Roth, MD, FACS, says “Alex is one of the most motivated patients in our practice. Like all weight loss operations, the sleeve procedure is a tool to help patients control their weight. It is perfectly suited for patients like Alex who are at very high risk for surgery, one that best balances risk and opportunity for success.”
The Columbia University Center for Obesity Surgery at Lawrence Hospital has been treating patients since 2003. The program offers the convenience and atmosphere of a smaller community hospital in combination with the world-class clinical expertise and research capability found at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. According to Jane Alexander, NP and Clinical Coordinator of the weight loss surgery program, being a part of Columbia University establishes a link with the main hospital to deliver care that other programs cannot. “We offer patients a personalized approach that takes into consideration their physical health, family, and emotional concerns. Being a community hospital, we’re more available and accessible to our patients, enabling us to create a bond and partnership with them. It is extremely rewarding to work with patients like Alex and see the results of hard work and dedication.” Dr. Roth “All patients with or without high risk are are welcome in our practice and are encouraged to come and discuss surgical options with us.”
To learn more about weight loss surgery at the Lawrence Hospital Center, visit the Center for Advanced Surgery or call 914.787.4000.
{ 10 comments }
When Megan Ellerd and Steven Ferretti met seven years ago, it was “instant love,” she says. Not long after, the young couple found out that Steven had autoimmune hepatitis — but they didn’t worry too much about it, hoping that it wouldn’t affect them until much later in life. In 2008, however, the two were happily engaged when Steven’s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. His liver was failing, and he needed a transplant.
Although Steven had severe liver disease and was experiencing painful symptoms such as ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen), he would have had to become deathly ill in order to qualify for a donor organ from the transplant waiting list. For a couple with a wedding to plan and a bright future ahead, the prospect of Steven spending many months, if not years, in progressively worsening health was just not an option. For Megan, the choice was clear. She had known from the beginning that she would donate part of her liver to him if she could — and when testing confirmed she was a good match, that’s exactly what she did.
Steven Ferretti and Megan Ellerd
On January 6, 2011, the team at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Liver Transplant Program transplanted Megan’s left lobe to Steven, an operation that not only saved his life, but spared him the ordeal of becoming even sicker while waiting for a liver from the organ donor waitlist. Benjamin Samstein, MD, Surgical Director of the Liver Transplant Program, and Lorna Dove, MD, MPH, Medical Director of Adult Liver Transplantation, are happy to report that the transplantation was a success, and that Steven and Megan have both made excellent recoveries.
Both Steven and Megan have been transformed by the experience; they speak of their gratitude for the support they received from their loving families, and of a newfound appreciation for life. Thanks to the team at Columbia, and to each other, they’re now thinking of having kids and possibly starting a new business. Whatever they decide, they’re fortunate to be able to do it in good health, and together.
{ 0 comments }
