Dr. Carl Weiss, Auburn Community Hospital’s Director of Bariatric Surgery since 2005, recently presented at the 17th Annual New York State Chapter Conference of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). His presentation, titled “Hiatal Hernia Management in Bariatric Surgery,” focused on techniques for improving surgical outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy. Dr. Weiss is currently following patients as part of his clinical research and aims to expand the dataset over time.
His research focuses on developing patient-specific surgical approaches to improve post-surgery outcomes, with a particular emphasis on addressing challenges such as GERD (acid reflux/heartburn) and weight regain. “My interest is to develop innovative and effective solutions to some of the most common challenges after weight loss surgery, by tailoring surgical approaches to each patient’s unique anatomy,” Dr. Weiss explained. Currently, there is little research addressing these areas of concern, and his hope is to identify the most effective and innovative surgical techniques to enhance patient outcomes—not only for the Auburn community but for the broader bariatric surgery community as a whole.
Through his dedication to his research, Dr. Weiss has identified specific favored techniques and tools used in hiatal hernia repair to improve bariatric surgical outcomes. Dr. Weiss utilizes Tisseel-Glue and Gastropexy, surgical tools and methods borrowed from thoracic surgery, that have shown promise in improving outcomes after repair of hiatal hernias. Additionally, he highlights the benefits of using Synthetic Absorbable Mesh, a material that dissolves within six months, allowing the underlying tissue and muscle to strengthen during the absorption process.
To evaluate the effectiveness of this surgical approach, Dr. Weiss collects patient feedback before and after surgery, asking his patients about their experiences with heartburn and weight loss success both pre-surgery and during follow-up visits. Initial findings suggest that most patients report dramatically improved heartburn and improved weight loss success. These innovations are starting to address some of the most frequent complaints after weight loss surgery. He plans to continue tracking these outcomes over time and present more on his findings.
About Fingerlakes Bariatrics
Fingerlakes Bariatrics is a comprehensive bariatric program that provides surgical intervention for patients with morbid obesity. We focus on behavioral change to help patients achieve long-term successful weight loss. A major component in helping patients better understand their condition is the program’s commitment to education and support to help achieve behavioral change that must occur in addition to surgery to ensure the best possible long-term results. Click here to learn more.