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Due to overwhelming success and Baptist Hospital's commitment to community health, the Self-Pay LAP-Band Discount will remain in effect until further notice.

Contact: Kristi Gooden, 615/284-5446, kristi.gooden@baptisthospital.com

BAPTIST HOSPITAL MAKES WEIGHT LOSS AFFORDABLE

-- Discounted Lap-Band Surgery Competes with Prices Offered Internationally --

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Baptist Hospital's Metabolic Surgery Center announced today their "Lap-Band Wellness Stimulus Package," for self-pay patients, who schedule Lap-Band weight loss surgery between now and January 31, 2010.

The cost of the Lap-Band procedure has been reduced by 25 percent - from $16,100 to $12,000. The package includes the surgical procedure with no overnight stay or complications, as well as three months of Lap-Band adjustments and consultations with the center's dieticians and exercise physiologists as needed. Financing options are available through CareCredit.

"This is a 'wellness stimulus' for a healthier lifestyle," said Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital. "The $12,000 Lap-Band fee is competitive with medical tourism travel rates. Medical tourism is gaining popularity as patients cross the border where costs of surgery are lower, yet there are potential dangers. By receiving treatment at Baptist Hospital, self-pay patients receive both financial value and high quality care from an accredited Center of Excellence."

According to Dr. Charles Morton, medical director of the Metabolic Surgery Center, thousands of patients travel to Mexico each year for Lap-Band surgery. "In some places, medical qualification standards for physicians and health care facilities are very different than they are in the United States and there's no follow up care once the patient is back home."

The Baptist Metabolic Surgery Center expects its Lap-Band Wellness Stimulus Package will draw patients from across the country and has developed travel packages with special rates on hotel and air travel.

In addition, some patients may be eligible for a tax deduction, as medical costs such as those associated with Lap-Band surgery are considered non-reimbursed medical expenses.

The Lap-Band, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, is a purely restrictive weight loss procedure that limits solid food intake by surgically inserting an inflatable band completely around the uppermost part of the stomach. This minimally-invasive and reversible procedure does not include cutting or stapling of the stomach and there is no bypassing of the intestines. Nearly all patients can go home the same day as the procedure.

Lap-Band restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at a meal. Any food consumed passes through the digestive tract in the usual order allowing it to be fully absorbed into the body.

"Weight loss surgery is not for everyone and does require a lifestyle change. For those who make the decision, they are investing in a healthier future," said Dr. Morton. "Lap-Band is one of the most common weight loss procedures done today and it's successfully helping treat obesity for patients across the country."

Ideal candidates for Lap-Band surgery include patients who:

  • Are at least 100 pounds overweight or have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or at least a BMI of 35 with one or more obesity-related health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.
  • Are at least 18 to 65 years old.
  • Have made serious attempts to lose weight and have had only short-term success.
  • Are prepared to make substantial changes in eating habits and lifestyle.

The Metabolic Surgery Center at Baptist Hospital is one of the most comprehensive weight loss surgery programs in the country, providing patients with proven open and laparoscopic surgical options, such as Lap-Band, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch, which correct metabolic deficiencies. The center and its surgeons are designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

For more information about the Lap-Band Wellness Stimulus Package, call (615) 284-2400. The Metabolic Surgery Center at Baptist Hospital is located adjacent to the hospital in Medical Plaza I at 2021 Church Street, Suite 104, in Nashville.

Baptist Hospital, located in Nashville, Tenn., is a member of Saint Thomas Health Services, a faith-based ministry with more than 6,500 associates serving Middle Tennessee. Saint Thomas Health Services' regional health system consists of four hospitals - Baptist and Saint Thomas Hospitals in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville - and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures in diagnostics, cardiac services and ambulatory surgery as well as medical practices, the Center for Spinal Surgery, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. STHS is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.baptisthospital.com or www.sths.com.