Bariatric Surgery Clinics
Obesity is a major health epidemic in the United States. As of 2017, the rate of both child and adult obesity hovered between 30 and 39 percent in Texas. Across the country, adult obesity topped 30 percent in 25 states. At UT Southwestern, patients have a number of multidisciplinary options to help them become healthier. If surgery is determined to be the best option, adult and pediatric surgery clinics are available. The adult bariatric surgery clinic, located in the outpatient building at UT Southwestern, is headed by Benjamin Schneider, M.D.
“UT Southwestern has served as a regional resource for clinical excellence, having pioneering advancements in bariatric surgery,” says Dr. Schneider. “Our multidisciplinary team is extremely dedicated to upholding this tradition of clinical care, surgical training, and research. We look forward to offering new innovative treatments to our patients and expanding access to quality bariatric care.”
The clinic offers a full range of bariatric surgery procedures along with support services for pre- and postoperative patients. Patients get the benefit of having procedures performed at the newest hospital on the campus, Clements University Hospital. Clements was ranked the 2017 top hospital in North Texas by U.S. News and World Report, and is a state-of-the-art facility designed for patient comfort. The pediatric bariatric surgery clinic, located at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, is headed by Faisal Qureshi, M.D. The clinic works with the onsite Center for Obesity and its Consequences in Health (COACH) clinic to create a comprehensive strategy to treat child obesity.
“Obesity continues to impact the health and well-being of our teenagers and adolescents. Healthier living habits have an important role in reducing the burden of obesity but are sometimes not enough. We are fortunate enough to provide a complete surgical weight loss program at Children’s Health and UT Southwestern for those patients who need surgical evaluation. Seeing teenagers change after weight loss surgery and changing their lives gives the entire team a real purpose in helping these patients,” says Dr. Qureshi.
Pediatric bariatric surgery candidates are also treated in one of the highest-ranked hospitals in Texas. The Children’s Health system has been caring for patients for a century and has been recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation for six consecutive years.