Setting of the gastric balloon for weight loss in Hospital Nordwest Frankfurt am Main

About the department

The Department of Obesity Treatment and Bariatric Surgery at the Hospital Nordwest Frankfurt am Main offers the full range of services in the area of its specialization. The department's medical team can boast long experience, and also has at its disposal advanced obesity treatment methods. Upon admission to the department, the patient undergoes a comprehensive diagnostic examination, since excess weight can cause the development of many diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular pathologies, musculoskeletal diseases, as well as psychological disorders. After receiving the diagnostic data, the attending physician invites the patient for an individual consultation, during which he agrees with him the desired final result and elaborates an individual treatment regimen. The department's specialists strive to help the patient get rid of extra pounds using conservative methods and lifestyle modifications, but in especially complex cases they still resort to surgical treatment. The department is headed by Dr. med. Sylvia Weiner.

Many patients come to the department to undergo treatment of obesity caused by a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, low physical activity, hormonal disorders, as well as after injuries and diseases, which require prolonged bed rest. Overweight people are often prone to mood disorders and depression, and therefore the department offers the services of experienced psychologists whose efforts are aimed at restoring a person's self-confidence, increasing self-esteem and improving quality of life, as well as providing moral support for the patients during the difficult fight against obesity.

When undergoing treatment in the department, the patients gain knowledge about proper nutrition and receive all the necessary information, which will help them completely change their lifestyle, as well as get rid of bad eating habits. Lifestyle modification and dietary adjustments are required even for those patients who had bariatric surgery to reduce body weight, since, in most cases, improper diet and insufficient physical activity contribute to repeated weight gain.  

The department's specialists offer not only conservative, but also surgical treatment of severe cases of obesity, when diets, drug therapy and physical activity do not give the desired result. As a rule, the preference is given to gastric volume reduction and gastric bypass surgery. In particular, the surgeons shape the small stomach with staples to reduce food intake to 30 grams. The department also performs a gastric balloon implantation (an endoscopic intervention). When performing this surgical procedure, the surgeons place a balloon with saline solution in the stomach. The balloon occupies a significant part of it, thereby reducing the amount of food intake and accelerating the onset of satiety. Thus, the patient does not experience any discomfort due to hunger, eats less food and loses weight.

For patients wishing to undergo outpatient therapy, the department’s specialists have developed their own unique OPTIFAST®52 method. This program is implemented as a group therapy and allows the patient to achieve safe and long-term weight loss. The program includes the diagnostic examination of the patient's overall health and the assessment of his physical endurance. These are followed by the appointment of a special diet and an individual selection of the required physical activities. During the entire period of therapy, the patient is under the supervision of experienced physicians who make adjustments to any aspects of the program, if necessary. The patients also regularly attend a support group and work with a psychologist.

The department’s clinical focuses include:

• Conservative treatment of obesity
  • Dietary recommendations (healthy diet, diet for overweight, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity)
  • Diet therapy
  • Physical therapy
    • Gymnastics
    • Pilates
    • Swimming
    • Water aerobics
    • Nordic walking
  • Lifestyle modification, which includes increasing physical activity, changing eating habits, as well as quitting bad habits, such as drinking alcohol and smoking
  • Drug therapy for obesity
  • Psychological counseling
• Conservative treatment of obesity on an outpatient basis – a unique OPTIFAST®52 program 
• Surgical treatment of obesity (bariatric surgery)
  • Endoscopic surgical techniques
    • Intragastric balloon placement
    • POSE procedure (primary obesity surgery endolumenal)
    • Overstitch procedure
  • Classical surgical techniques
    • Gastric bypass surgery, including Omega Loop gastric bypass
    • Sleeve gastrectomy
    • Gastric banding
    • SADI-S bariatric procedure
    • Revision bariatric interventions
  • Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • Abdominoplasty after significant weight loss
• Other types of conservative and surgical treatment of obesity