Dr. Loredana Bărbulescu: “Most patients want to control their diseases associated with obesity and then the need to live a more active life.”
We live in a culture in which the extra kilos are often reduced to a problem of will, without considering that obesity is a complex condition, with multiple causes and consequences-physical, metabolic, but also emotional.
For many patients who face obesity, the road to a healthy and qualitative life goes through a long series of trials: repeated diets followed by failures, drug treatments or lifestyle changes that do not give the expected results. When these efforts are no longer sufficient or the life is endangered by the increased risk of associated conditions, one of the treatment options with proven efficiency in the control of obesity and associated conditions is bariatric surgery – a complex intervention, but which can mark a new beginning.
“Bariatric surgery is not a miracle, but a tool. The new life begins with small, but firm steps,” Dr. Loredana Bărbulescu, primary physician general surgery within the Center of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery in the Hospital Academic Ponderas.
This medical intervention, more and more frequent in Romania, is not only about losing kilograms – but about building, step by step, a new life.
The life of a bariatric patient does not “settle” in the operating room
The first months after the bariatric operation are decisive: the diet is restricted, the daily rate changes, and the patient is forced to reconnect with his own body and build new habits.
“The first month is considered the most difficult – the diet is exclusively liquid or semilichid, and the patient learns to relate differently to his own body,” explains Dr. Bărbulescu. “It is a process of reconnecting and forming healthy habits.”
This stage allows the healing of the stomach and adapting the digestive tract to the new conditions. At the same time, patients begin to lose significantly in weight, which causes decreased blood pressure and a better blood sugar adjustment from the first postoperative weeks.
“The support does not end in the operating room. The patient is followed by a multidisciplinary team made up of surgeon, nutritionist, diabetes, cardiologist, psychologist, endocrinologist – who offers guide, monitoring and emotional support. This close collaboration is the key to long -term success,” adds Dr. Bărbulescu.
All these specialists can be found within the Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery – the first center in Romania accredited by the International Federations IFSO and SRC (Surgical Review Corporation). International credentials confirm not only the expertise of the medical team, but also the safety and high standards of the medical act.
Real motivation should be not the loss of pounds but the regaining of health
Patients who choose a bariatric intervention do not do it for aesthetic reasons. Most come after years of struggles with diet, chronic diseases and a very low quality of life. The desire to regain its health-not just silhouette-is the main motivation.
“Most patients want to control their diseases associated with obesity: diabetes, hypertension, joint pain, sleep apnea. Then comes the need to live a more active life,” says Dr. Bărbulescu.
The fear of complications is normal, but it decreases once the patient understands that he is not alone, and the medical team is ready to accompany him at every stage. The decision regarding the type of intervention is taken in a personalized way, depending on the medical history and the lifestyle of each patient.
Transformation comes from inside to outside
The operation quickly brings a significant weight loss – but the transformation is not just physical. Many patients rediscover their body, mobility, but also trust. For some, this process involves challenges: personal relationships can change, the rhythm of life changes, contradictory emotions appear.
“The change is deep – not only physical, but also emotional,” stresses Dr. Loredana Bărbulescu. This is why psychological support is an integral part of the process, offered by both the medical team, as well as by family and friends. At the Hospital Academic Ponderas, patients benefit from specialized psychological counseling from the team of psychologists made up of Cosmina Peța and Dumitrescu Adrian, both experienced in accompanying people facing people. obesity. According to the psychologist Cosmina Peța, “at the base of obesity is a very little emotional defense mechanism – and the real change also implies a deep understanding of these emotional wounds. Where the patient has a real, balanced and constant support, the chances of success increase considerably.”
Changes appear gradually under the guidance of the medical team
A common myth is that the patient must completely change his lifestyle overnight, if he wants the results to be visible as soon as possible. In reality, the transformation comes step by step, guided by the team of the Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery.
“It is a road that is built step by step, but which inevitably leads to a new lifestyle. We do not impose perfection, but we encourage perseverance,” says Dr. Bărbulescu.
This transition involves food re -education, moderate physical activity and continuous medical monitoring. The objective is to avoid situations in which the patient returns to previous behaviors that have contributed to obesity and maintain long -term results.
“The patient who collaborates with the team, presents himself at periodic checks, respects the indications and assumes the change has the highest chances of success, and success means long -term responsibility,” says Dr. Bărbulescu.
Also, another harmful myth is that the bariatric operation would be “a shortcut” or a “solution for people without will”. In fact, it is a complex medical procedure, recommended in well evaluated cases, intended for the control of obesity associated with obesity. “Bariatric surgery is not an easy way, but a safe way, guided by specialists and supported by the patient’s responsibility,” says the doctor.
Bariatric surgery is an important step towards regaining health, when supported by correct medical guidance, constant personal effort and support of a dedicated team. At Ponderas Academic Hospital, in August, the gastric Sleeve intervention is available starting with 3,500 euros, with the payment option in installments.
