By Heidi Smith, Contributor
Robert Perry was in his early 40s and living in Massachusetts when his symptoms began. His vision became blurry, and he felt a tremendous thirst he couldn’t quench. He thought it would go away, but he began feeling so ill he finally went to a hospital emergency room.
Four days later, he was discharged from the hospital with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.
“It took a while to adjust my diet and medications, but for 20 years I was good. The diabetes was under control,” said the 68-year-old Perry, who moved to Punta Gorda in 2011 to escape cold winters. Over time, his blood sugar became more difficult to manage. He was on oral medications and using an insulin pump.
“My endocrinologist changed medications and I felt much better for a while. But it was getting harder to stay in a good (blood sugar) range,” he related. “I had heard that bariatric surgery could help with diabetes, and the endocrinologist suggested I talk to a surgeon.”
Perry consulted with Joseph Chebli, M.D., an independent bariatric surgeon on the medical staff at Venice Regional Bayfront Health.
While individual results may vary, a number of surgical alternatives can help resolve conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, infertility, and sleep apnea associated with obesity – even before weight loss occurs. Dr. Chebli has performed more than 1,000 metabolic/bariatric procedures at Venice Regional, which is accredited as a Center of Excellence by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.
“Often after this surgery, obese patients see their conditions improve dramatically, even before substantial weight loss occurs,” Dr. Chebli explained. “Type 2 diabetes patients may no longer need insulin or medication. Nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease can be halted or even reversed. Blood pressure medications can be reduced or even eliminated. And for women, it can resolve problems with conceiving and carrying a baby to term. Individual results may vary, but for many patients, it really is life-changing.”
Dr. Chebli, in collaboration with a Venice endocrinologist, has developed special protocols for patients that are using an insulin pump. “These patients require very careful management after bariatric surgery. It’s a complex metabolic process, and our protocols at Venice Regional are delivering outstanding results for patients,” he said.
“Mr. Perry was an excellent candidate for metabolic surgery, and I am thrilled that he was able to cease diabetes medicines, including the insulin pump, immediately after surgery,” Dr. Chebli said.
“With this type of procedure, the patient is up and around right away,” he continued. “This isn’t the type of operation where we tell the patient to go home and rest. We make very small incisions to conduct the surgery laparoscopically. Recovery time is generally rapid, and hospital stays are usually short – one to two days.”
Patients who undergo metabolic/bariatric surgery with Dr. Chebli at Venice Regional also receive lifestyle and nutritional counseling and are encouraged to participate in a support group to manage their metabolism long-term. The surgery changes the way the body digests food and takes up nutrients so maintaining a healthy weight requires lifelong behavioral and nutritional changes.
For Perry, Dr. Chebli performed a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in September 2019, reducing the size of Perry’s stomach. The surgeon also repaired a hiatal hernia, where the stomach was bulging up into the chest cavity, and he performed a liver biopsy.
“The liver appeared significantly abnormal,” Dr. Chebli recalled. “Fatty liver disease is a common condition in people with Type 2 diabetes or obesity. After surgery, we referred Mr. Perry to a hepatologist who reports that the patient’s liver has made an incredible recovery.”
Perry says he wishes he had undergone the procedure 20 years ago.
“Words don’t describe it,” said Perry, who previously weighed 284 pounds and is maintaining a comfortable 179 pounds two years later. “I feel great. I’m very comfortable at this weight; in high school I weighed 175. My freedom of movement is so much better. I walk and ride my bike four to 10 miles, four to five times a week.”
Perry has high praise for Dr. Chebli and his team. “I’d go back and have him do it again,” Perry laughed. “Dr. Chebli is great to talk to. I learned a lot from him, and he explained everything to me. The office staff is great, very friendly. The nurse at the hospital, the dietitian, everyone was top notch. Venice Regional is exceptional. I would recommend the hospital and Dr. Chebli to everyone.”
Dr. Chebli and his team have developed a close relationship with Mr. Perry, as they do with many patients. Said the surgeon, “We affectionately call him ‘Candy Man’ because he owns a candy shop and ice cream store – and he’s such a sweet guy.”
Venice Regional
Bayfront Health
For more information about approaches to achieving a healthy weight, please visit VeniceWeightLoss.com.