BROOKLYN, N.Y. and BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Victory Memorial Hospital and Skilled Nursing Center (SNC), a not-for-profit hospital in the southwest section of Brooklyn, and the Centers for Obesity Related Illness (CORI) have introduced a comprehensive weight reduction program to treat morbidly obese patients -- those individuals at least 80 pounds or more overweight.
"There is an acute need for this program in Brooklyn since borough residents here are nearly twice as likely as their New York City counterparts to suffer from diabetes and 15 percent more likely to have heart disease, two of the leading co-morbidities of obesity," says Michael P. Schuhknecht, D.O., F.A.C.O.S., physician co-founder of CORI and bariatric surgeon at Victory Memorial Hospital, citing a 2003 Report from The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Community Health Profiles.
"These statistics and earlier reports that show 21 percent of Brooklyn's adult population is obese -- second only to the Bronx and a notch above Staten Island at 18 percent -- were the impetus for Victory Memorial Hospital to launch the CORI program," continues Dr. Schuhknecht. "This surgical weight loss program can successfully reverse co-morbidities and ensure long-term results."
CORI brings to neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn and Staten Island a nationally recognized, multi-faceted approach to weight loss, including medically supervised interventions, education, behavioral modification strategies, and a comprehensive pre- and post-surgical program for nutritional, physical and psychological support.
"We are keenly aware of the fact that New Yorkers living in Central Brooklyn report less physical activity and, together with their neighbors in Staten Island, eat fewer fruits and vegetables than the rest of the city," says Donald DiCunto, Chief Executive Officer. "We sought out CORI as our partner because its program addresses this issue, and CORI is committed to helping patients to make lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise. An integral part of their success in achieving long-term, optimal outcomes is nutritional and psychological counseling before and after gastric bypass surgery."
Dr. Schuhknecht, renowned for his extensive work in bariatric surgery with more than 1,000 bariatric procedures, points out that CORI is procedure agnostic and offers patients an array of proven surgical options including:
Sapala-Wood Micropouch(R) gastric bypass surgery, which is the open Roux- en-Y Gastric Bypass procedure with a micropouch. Since 1994, over 4,000 patients have undergone the Sapala-Wood Micropouch(R) procedure. To date, no Micropouch patient has required a second procedure because of pouch enlargement. More than 90 percent of CORI patients lose 75 percent of their excess weight within two years of surgery. This result equals or surpasses the weight reduction achieved in other Roux-en-Y gastric bypass programs. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is a minimally invasive surgical alternative to traditional open surgical procedures. Weight loss and reduction in co-morbidities resulting from laparoscopic gastric bypass are comparable to rates resulting from open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAP-BAND(R)) uses the same laparoscopic tools and techniques as laparoscopic gastric bypass.
CORI has developed a strong program that demonstrates favorable patient results while at the same time reducing length of stay (LOS) at the hospital and minimizing surgical complications and costs.
For more information about the CORI weight reduction program at Victory Memorial Hospital or to attend a free health and info session, call 800-578- CORI (2674) or visit http://www.weightlosssurgery.com/ for program dates and locations.
About Victory Memorial Hospital
The Victory Memorial Hospital and Skilled Nursing Center (SNC) is a not- for-profit, voluntary hospital located at 699 92nd Street, Brooklyn. The hospital and SNC serves the health care needs of the community by providing preventative care through health screenings and health educational sessions, primary care, ambulance services, Emergency Room care, acute care, specialized services and long-term care services within the resources available. For more information, visit http://www.vmhny.org/ or call 718-567-1234.
About CORI
CORI Centers are operated by MSO Medical, Inc. with its corporate office located in Bannockburn, Illinois (Chicago suburb). MSO Medical contracts with acute care hospitals to establish Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence under the brand name CORI (Centers for Obesity Related Illness). CORI has established centers in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Florida. For more information, call 800-578-CORI (2674) or visit http://www.weightlosssurgery.com/.
Centers for Obesity Related IllnessCONTACT: Jessica Wolfe, CPR Communications, +1-201-641-1911, ext. 51,jwolfe@cpronline.com, for Centers for Obesity Related Illness